Fate Fanfiction
by Evaleena
Summary: The story presents a most peculiar Master, Elwing Yasha as she wakes up with a servant, involved in a war that has nothing to do. The story is divided in days and branches out from time to time at some characters. So choose your servant and follow your route (sorry, only Lancer -Diarmuid ua Duibhne route is complete)


Fate Fanfiction

Boudica – Rider

Wilhelm Tell – Archer

Baybars – Berserker

Bacovia – Caster

Ezio Auditore da Firenze– Asassin

Diarmuid ua duibhne – Lancer

Joana D'Arc – Saber/Ruler

In a dark alley two figures sat face to face. One, a male, was holding a knife while the other, a female, sat in a Thai Chi pose. _"I'm going to die here_" thought the female "_well, I guess there are worst ways to die_." She barely dodged her aggressor's first attack, when he grabbed her, but now it was different. "_How about living_" came the response in her head. "_Yea right! With this body…options: none…I can't run…it would be so shameful to run and I can't scream_" she thought ironically back "_I'll get stabbed and die but at least I can hit him back_." She adjusted her pose a little "_Do you want to live?"_ came another voice "_Apparently I do or else I wouldn't be sitting in this stance. Ah! I wonder if anyone would mourn for me?!"_ The second her thought had finished, the man started moving towards her to attack. As she saw the cold steel of the blade coming towards her, all she could do was freeze. A light appeared in front of her and her attacker was pushed back. Between them now sat a man/a woman.

1 st servant -LANCER- Diarmuid ua Duibhne

Lancer – Diarmuid ua Duibhne

Day 1

"That's enough" the man said "Woman, are you my master? Or are you sir?"

"Master?" the female whispered

"Who the hell are you?" came the man's reply

"Even if you are my master, sir, I will not let you harm an innocent woman!" he said with a serious face and rotated a huge red spear "Now show me your mark or be gone!"

"Like hell I need this" the man replied at ran off

"Are you my master, young lady?" he asked, his voice softening.

"No. I don't think so" the girl replied confused "thank you for saving me" she said bowing. She made an attempt to leave.

"Wait!" he said

"_Ow crap_!" the woman thought "_Out of the fire and into a hell hole_". She turned to face him getting ready to defend herself but the other seemed to have realized that.

"I mean your no harm, rest assured. I just want to know if you are my master. I could not have been summoned here otherwise. Do you have the mark by any chance?"

"Mark?"

"Yes, there should be a mark on you if you are my master" he replied coming closer towards the female "ah, there it is, on your hand" he said happy.

The girl looked at her left hand and then on her right hand. Indeed, on her right hand a mark like two wings stood in blood.

"This wasn't there before" she answered "I must have gotten cut on the knife that idiot had"

"No, no. That's a summoner's mark. You are my master" came the relieved answer of the man. "I am The first spear of the knights of Fiana, my name is Diarmuid ua Duibhne. I am here as your servant, I am of the Lancer class" he continued kneeling

"Aaaaaa…..get up…please" came the confused reply of the woman. The man obeyed without hesitation. "Ok, let's get something straight. You said summon, I am not a mage, there's no such thing as magic. I have never heard of a place called Fianna. And this must be some kind of joke cause it sounds like something from an mmo and I played lost of those so I aught to know. So it's either a very elaborate prank or I am dreaming. In which case don't wake me up!"

"You are not a mage? But that's a mark meant for a mage. How did you summon me otherwise?"

"Yea, it's a dream" the woman replied "ok, so if it's a dream, I should be able to conjure some element or spell or trap. Do you know a spell by any chance that I can try?"

"This is not a joke, master!" the man replied in a worried voice "we should also move. That summoning should have alerted the other masters. We're in danger!"

"Of course we are! I can't have peace not even in my dreams. God, I hate my subconscious. Very well, let's go to my place" she replied thinking ironically "_what's the worst thing that can happen, rape, death, meh, it's a dream, should be fine, I hope_!" she thought and then out loud "fallow me"

They went into a lighted area and as she turned her head towards the man that was fallowing her obediently she stopped and looked up at him. He was wearing what seemed like an emerald jump suit with an epaulette on his left shoulder. He had hard leather plates on his upper feet and high boots with black flames on them. The outfit itself traced his muscles perfectly showing his lean build. His hair was black and curly, combed backwards with only a small lock of hair left on his face. He had two spears in his hands that were wrapped in a violet cloth with red markings. The long spear was read and the short one was yellow.

"Ow boy!" she said "it's one of those embarrassing dreams. You said you were a knight, right?"

"Yes, master"

"I do love the sound of that word, but stop calling me that it's demeaning for a man to call someone like me that"

"How should I call you then, master?"

"My name is Elwing but if you find it difficult you can call me Evaleena or Eva. It's the name I use as a gamer" she said smiling proudly

"Yes master El-wing" he said slowly as if chanting the name

"Just Elwing or Eva. So, guess I need to explain to you where and when we are?" she sighted heavily

"I do have some knowledge of the era. The grail does give us some basic knowledge of the space and time."

"Do you know what a maxi-taxi is?"

"No!"

"It's a small vehicle, bigger than a car and smaller than a buss. We need to take that in order to get to my home or else we walk. Hmmmm….a 2 metter spear, how the hell is that going to fit in one of those vehicles. Fuck me if I know!"

"Excuse me?" Lancer said confused

"Aaaaaa…nothing…I got a foul mouth. I curse a lot since I started gaming. Don't mind me!" she replied blushing "_God, that went out of my mouth without control, moron_" she thought. "Is there any way you can hide your weapons?"

"Of course mas-, Elwing" he said and his spears disappeared in a red and gold cloud of dust.

"We will get in one of those vehicles and please don't say a word, we'll talk at home"

"Understood" came his firm reply

They walked further and reached the bus station and from there all seemed well. They got on a maxi-taxi and got off at their stop without any further incidents, except the perplex stares of the people around them which frustrated and made Elwing blush uncontrollable.

After getting off they Lancer continued following Elwing without a word until they entered the 4 stories apartment building.

"Here we are" she said opening the door to her number 35 apartment "welcome to my hell hole" she smiled.

She walked straight to her computer and opened it and then proceeded to get her coat off and boots.

"Do enter and take a seat where you can find a spot" she continued.

In her eyes her room wasn't much. In the apartment that had 3 rooms, hers was made from the living room. Lancer entered and looked astonished at the ceiling were her anime collage was. She had a desk in one of the corners of the room and 2 book shelves. They were stacked with books and on the shelves that were over the bed her weapon collection sat. An old katana sat there and a kodachi behind it. On the books were 5 fans and above that sat a curved knife. In the middle of the big shelves sat her piano and on the corner parallel with her desk was her wardrobe. On one of the armchairs sat an unstrung orange short bow with 4 orange arrows. Next to it a bokken made out of red oak. The bokken itself had a lot of marks on it, it's usage was clear. Lancer pushed the blanket from the bed aside and then changed his mind and came and sat on the armchair behind Elwing.

"Sorry, I never make my bed when I don't have company, what's the use anyway since in the evening I make a mess out of it again" she excused herself.

"It's allright. I do believe it's better if we are closer to each other" he replied but seeing the girl's face he immediately knew he made a mistake "apologies. I meant it's better for us to talk."

"Yea…I guess" came the reply in a confused voice "Let's see" she said as she typed Dirmund o'Dyna in her search engine.

"That is not how you write my name" the servant said a bit disappointed.

"Well, my apologies, how do you write your name, I have never heard of you!"

"It's D-I-A-R-M-U-I-D U-A D-U-I-B-H-N-E" the servant spelled his name clearly irritated "the grail is supposed to summon heroes from different ages that have their legends known. But it seems my legend isn't known here"

"Says here you're Irish" she replied ignoring his irritations "that explains a lot. I didn't even know Ireland had epic heroes. I am good only with Greek mythology, Japanese history and a little of their mythology, although except Musashi I don't know of any other hero unless he was in some anime. Oh! And a bit of Chinese, but those guys make legends out of anyone. I am more of a fantasy buff, give me dragons, harpies, elves and such any time of the day and I tell you whatever you want to know from the games I played and the articles I read. I am not much into humans. So…sorry!" she finally said "Can you give a second to read about you so we have common ground to talk?"

"Of course, master"

Lancer said coldly. _"He's a bit prideful_" the girl thought as she proceeded reading the summary of his story. She immediately had a distaste for Grainne and the way she was the catalyst to the death of her servant, but liked the story nonetheless. She then proceeded to read everything she could find about his weapons, length, enchantments and about the word that he had said Grail. It was passed midnight when she was finished and Diarmuid didn't move from his spot which made her feel comfortable and uncomfortable in the same time.

"All right!" she finally said after finishing her research "I have no ideea what the fuck I am doing!" she continued smiling "it's been a while and since I can read and search and have full control over my actions, I conclude this is not a dream or it's a long dream or I am in a coma. Therefore we're fucked and I feel like crying now, better said I am crying on the inside"

"Master?!" came Diarmuid's surprise response, the disappointment in his voice was nowhere to be found. He had never met a woman who talked so openly about her feelings or had so much use of the word _fuck_.

"You said you have some knowledge about what's going on. Care to explain, as in for idiots, namely me?"

"Of course master"

"Stop calling me master."

"Yes Elwing"

"Better"

"You are a master in the Holy Grail War."

"Christ's drinking cup? Really?! I am an atheist, I don't believe in God. Ow… the universe is fucking with me, how nice!"

"If you would let me finish master" the servant said as she nodded "I don't know of this Christ but the Holy Grail War is a war fought between 7 mages who summon powerful familiars called servant. I am such a servant and I have been summoned to fight in your place."

"So the masters are just some puppet masters letting you fight to the death!" she replied annoyed "while I love playing God and I rarely get the chance especially since I regret it later, you are real people, it's disgusting"

"We're not exactly people; we're heroic spirits, the most powerful familiars"

"I always imagined familiars as imps crawling around, not an Irish hero"

"Nonetheless, here I am"

"Nonetheless I am not a magus" she said annoyed. "This is a disaster, you must really be the most unlucky hero ever to walk the earth"

"Unlucky?"

"I read the summary of your legend, how you died and such"

"Ah!"

She looked at the man's face more clearly, the cursed mole just right under his left eye caught her attention, but she felt nothing. She looked into his deep hazel eyes, she had never seen such a shade of hazel at anyone. But what really bothered her was the way he gazed at her, she could see some kind of sadness in that gaze, was it because she mentioned his death, or was it because he missed Grainne and his 5 children, she could not tell. She sighted and turned back to look into her monitor.

"Do you have any other information? What are the stakes in this war?"

"The Grail offers a wish to the winner"

"Any wish?"

"Yes! The Grail is an omnipotent wish granting device, it will chose the most worthy!"

"Worthy? And how does this THING deems us worthy?"

"We must defeat the other masters"

"If the word is deem, then we must impress it, not necessarily kill each other."

"I have never thought of that!"

"Eh, semantics! At least that's something I am good at! But a wish! That's stupid, there's a catch here."

"Catch?" came Lancer's reply. The woman in front of him kept amazing him.

"Yes! A wish granting device, omnipotent nonetheless, there's a price. Everything in this world has a price. I don't like this, I don't like this at all. Not to mention that I am not a magus. I should be the one entitled to it from the start since we are at a HUGE disadvantage! But it's not like we will have it easy. Things are never easy and the universe likes to screw with us! Proven fact! And yes I am a paranoid bitch!" she ended by letting out a sigh.

Diarmuid looked at the woman who gestured frantically and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not to mention that the woman almost hit him a few times in her frenzy. She clearly had no idea what a magus was, but she had more than enough mana to sustain him. Plus the weapons that she had in her room. It was unconceivable for him that this woman didn't know what she was doing.

"Elwing, how good are you with these weapons? As my master I think you should be an expert…"

"What?! No?! I suck!" came her reply "I get scared easily, I close my eyes when someone is too close and I am scared of hitting someone so that I don't hurt them! I know the basics of shooting a bow, but my aim is…well… let's put it nicely…way, way off. The swords, well I like dual wielding and I am better at it, but I could never disarm any of my friends and I just started kendo. Plus I find Kendo so rigid that's useless for me! And what is worst is that I don't have a real weapon. The sword you see there on the shelf, it's old and rusted and the blade is moving. You couldn't hit anything without breaking it, not to mention it's not sharpened."

"I see. If I may…I don't mean it as an insult…but master should take better care of her weapons."

"I do take it as an insult and the weapon itself is faulty. It's made for display not fighting and because I actually tried to hit something with it the blade started moving. If you look at my piano it's has the marks to prove it" she replied clearly annoyed.

"My apologies!" Lancer immediately spoke

"It's not your fault, I'm sorry. It's just that…it's been a long day. I feel tired! I'm sorry. I will prepare a bed. Well, take mine. I'll go sleep in my mother's room!"

"I think we should remain in the same room. If we are attacked that room is too far and I cannot protect you master."

"Ammmm" Elwing's reply came

"I swear I will not touch you. I am your servant!"

"It's not that…well it is…but…I…ow…God Damn it…fine" she said and saddened a little as she continued in a small voice" although that's not really my problem, Diarmuid, can you really protect me, I am one shot kill?!" and then louder "Never mind! Before we turn in, I didn't even ask you, are you hungry?"

"I am servant, I do not need to eat, I am sustained by your mana"

"Wait…mana…like in the games! Do I have a blue bar as well hanging above my head or something?"

"No blue bar. But I do not need to eat, necessarily"

"This is more like an mmo that I have ever thought. My full name is Elwing Yasha, pleased to meet you, my servant of the Lancer class, Diarmuid ua Duibhne, First Spear of the Knights of Fianna" she said bowing and smiling

"Master!" Lancer quickly kneeled in front of her "I promise I will protect you with my life"

"I love it when you kneel and call me master, but please stop it, get up" she said and as he got up right in front of her she looked up at him "God, you're tall' came her reply.

She smiled at him and moved to the side to grab her pijamas. She walked to the bathroom and chanced. As she did she could hear Lancer's steps.

"Please stay outside the door, for Pete's sake, I am changing!"

"I will"

"Will you always follow me around like a dog" she said and then quickly added "Sorry, I didn't mean it as an insult."

"None taken. But it is my duty to keep you safe"

"In my own house, well my mom's house. Eh!"

As she exited she looked at Diarmuid again, the lock of hair on his face always attracted her eyes. She felt the urge to pull on it when ever she looked at him. Resisting the urge she entered her parents' room. She went to her father's closet and started looking around. In the end she pulled back a pair of trousers and a shirt.

"Try these on! If they fit you can keep them while in the house. I can't let you stay in that armor. It will look weird if my mom comes and sees you like that."

"Of course, master!"

The reply made her smile. She hated herself for enjoying being called _master_, she was no master she knew, but the appreciation in the word made her heart skip a beat. Lancer was someone who showed her respect, like she showed to those that she deemed above her station.

Lancer entered the bathroom and changed as she did. Unfortunately only the trousers fit and that only because they were short. The shirt was too tight for his muscular body. As he exited he looked at bit confused at his master, while Elwing blushed a deep red.

"Even my dad's cloths don't fit. It will have to do for tonight I'm afraid. I have no idea. I'll think of something tomorrow, I guess. Where's your armor? "

"I unsummoned it. I can summon it when I need to, as you said, we should not scare the natives"

"I am a native!" came Elwing's reply.

They went back to her room, she closed the pc and the light and she threw herself on the bed with a squeak and closed her eyes to go to sleep, waiting for Lancer to lay next to her. The light from the computer faded, but Diarmuid did not come to bed. She opened her eyes to see him sit on the corner of the bed watching the window.

"What are you doing?" she asked

"Guarding you" came his reply

She got up and grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to make him fall on the bed. He obeyed her hands and left himself fall on the soft bed.

"Now go to sleep. If we die, we die, can't be helped, better yet, go to the wall side. If I die it's no problem, you on the other hand can win this on your own" she commanded

"Master, I…"

"Move before I hit you"

He widened his eyes as she made a gesture with her finger for him to move. It was unheard of a master to act this way. He moved obediently, more out of curiosity than anything else. When Elwing thought he was in place she arranged the covers as if to protect him, then turned her back on him and went to sleep. He sat there perplexed; no woman in her right mind would treat a knight like this. She didn't state her wish for him as he would have hopped, but started ranting about it not being real. She did not ask of his wish either. And she stated that she is no magus or an archer, or a swordsman. He was baffled. He hoped that the next day would wield better results.

Day 2

The sun was high up in the sky by the time she woke up. She looked around and saw Lancer on the corner of the bed in his armor and weapons in hand.

"Ow! It wasn't a dream!" she said and got the pillow from under her head and on to her face "I'm dead!" she said from behind it.

"Good morning, master" came Diarmuid's greeting

"Morning'" she said from behind the pillow _"I feel like crying so hard right now_" she thought as tears already filled her eyes "_stupid brain_"

"Is there something wrong, master?' her servant asked worried

"No. I'm allright! Could I ask you to leave the room so I can get out of the bed and change?"

"Of course. I will be right outside the door"

"Thank you!"

She waited until the door was closed and got up. The cold air hit her body and made her shiver, tears were now rolling from her eyes uncontrollably. She couldn't get out of bed. She got back in and wanted to sleep some more. She closed her eyes and tried imagining what she would do in her game that day. She thought of the armors that she wanted to craft and the map she wanted to complete. She felt miserable but the tears helped and she fell asleep.

"Master, master" came a cry "Master, wake up!" She didn't recognize the voice. "_Let me sleep. Let me never wake up_" she thought. As soon as the person put his hand on her she grabbed his fingers and got up violently twisting them a little.

"Apologies!" came Diarmuid's reply. No pain was visible, but then again, she did stopped as soon as she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sooo sorry" came her reply "I didn't mean to. I just…I thought…I didn't recognize your voice. I'm sorry!" she said starting to tremble.

"It didn't hurt" he smiled back at her "I was surprised. Even though you were slow that's a good reflex!"

"Thank you…I guess! I should get out of bed. I feel as if a train hit me"

"It is normal for you to be tired after such a summoning. Your body needs to recover!"

"I guess. What time is it? Did my phone ring?"

"Phone?"

"There it is!" she answered grabbing her old phone and looking at the hour "I got a child coming over for tutoring in 2 hours. It's already 12 pm."

She got out of the bed and went to her closet and picked a pair of black trousers and a black hoodie. Black always made her feel safer and slimmer. She was 1.58m tall and weighing about 55kg she knew she looked like a little barrel. After picking her clothes she walked to the bathroom and changed. Again Lancer waited at the door. She now felt bad for sending him outside her room and falling asleep. She thought of ways to make it up to him and realized that she really knew nothing about Heroic Spirits. All that came to her mind were the undine, which were some transparent girl spirit monster that she killed in her previous game for the material recipe, zombies and skeletons were also on the list. When she was done washing and changing she exited the bathroom.

"If you need to use the bathroom, feel free to do so. But please stop following me, I'm in my house if I am attacked I'll be dead before you can react" she told him in a sad voice.

"May I ask what troubles you?" he replied ignoring the remark on his skills.

"You may and you will get a reply if you follow me back to my room, I need to clean it." She said moving back to her room she started arranging the clothes and the bed and cleaning the desk, all the while thinking of how to start the conversation. As usual it took her about 15 minutes to finish cleaning and went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich. She looked at the kitchen and decided that she should really clean it up. She went back to her computer and opened it. As he did the night before, Lancer stood on the armchair next to her desk without saying a word. After the computer opened she started browsing for answers, but she couldn't find anything. Finally she opened the program she used to talk to her friends and clan mates and sent a few messages to 3 of them.

"I'm sorry Lancer, sorry, Diarmuid"

"You can call me Lancer, it's my class after all. And it's better if you do so, we only tell our masters our true identities, it's better if no one else knows so that I may conceal my weapons and skills"

"Ok! So, I can't find anything on Heroic Spirits, I am not good at searching. Is there a way I can find you a more suitable master and transfer you to him?"

"What do you mean by that master?" came Diarmuid's shocked reply

"No matter how I turn it, I am not a good master. I am not a mage, I am not a fighter. I always wished to be like a hero in some story, but look at me" she said desperate, tears rolling of her cheeks "I am fat, out of shape, I can't wield a bow or use a sword and I suck at hand to hand. I am impulsive, prideful, a hothead and very instinctual. I will get you killed and I don't want that" she realized by the end that she was yelling "I'm sorry" she whispered in the end.

"I chose you as my master. I think I did the right choice" Diarmuid said as he put his hand on her shoulder

"You chose me?"

"Didn't I ask you if you want to live?"

"You probably did it because you are a knight and saving worthless people like me is your job" she replied putting on a pouty face.

"I chose you and the catalyst made it possible for me to appear and help you" he replied choosing his words carefully.

"You mean pity me and save my ass!"

"I did not say that!"

"You meant it and it's ok"

"If I may, what catalyst did you use?"

"Catalyst? I don't know"

"Do you have anything of mine? We are summoned by the use of an object that belonged to us in life."

"The only thing Celtic that I had on me is this" she showed him a ring "I think it's probably Celtic, although knowing it belongs to a friend of mine I think it's more Norse, but since you are here and that's the only thing I have, then it's definitely Celtic. I am running in circles. Here!" she said and handed him the ring.

"Yes, this belonged to me when I was a child"

"You're kidding me!"

"No! I am not, master."

"That's a friend's ring."

"Then your friend has saved your life"

"That idiot… hmph… bet he didn't even know the worth of it. He's an idiot, a kind hearted idiot. He wanted to get rid of it because it reminded him of his ex and since it's silver I told him to leave it there. I don't even know why I took it with me last night. Ow well. Wait! Ow fucking hell, what if he did know the worth of the ring…he can be a magus. But like hell I am letting you on his hands. I can even imagine him being like: _You fight, me eat, mom bring food ..._something like that. He'd get you killed even faster than me. Aaaaaa" she ended screaming while messing her hair "this is a nightmare. But what if he is only faking, I mean, if he is a magus, he must have certain abilities, he should be able to keep you alive, but if he isn't he'd get you killed. This is a nightmare! How can I learn if he's a magus? Should I pour water on him like in _The wizard of ozz_ or something? I don't know and the internet doesn't seem to have any answers!"

During her mad rant, Lancer stood there and smiled an awkward smile. She was talking so fast and while he did understand her reasoning he couldn't but feel awkward and a bit oppressed by her. When she was done he straightened his face and looked at his master who had already turned around and put her head on the desk disillusioned.

"The recurring theme from last night seems to be, **we're screwed**" she ended up saying.

"Master," he began in his serious manner "what would you wish for?"

"I already said, there's no wish without a cost. That Grail thing is a hoax."

"Even so, if there was no cost to it, what would you wish for?"

"Well, I'm a power hungry woman. On a small scale, I'd wish for a fortune. They say money can't buy happiness but a smart man once continued that idea with …but it surely sustains it. But like I said, I'm a power hungry woman, so I can go for total domination of the world, yea, that sounds nice, or maybe some super powers, like controlling the elements" she started laughing "yea…right…and I am the queen of England. There's no way that wish is without a cost and I am so greedy that I don't wish to give up anything. What would you wish for Lancer?"

As Diarmuid opened his mouth the intercom began to ring. Elwing got up and answered it.

"It's probably my student. Can you wait in one of the other rooms, please? I need to work and you will distract me. We will continue this later!" she said as she turned to the front door.

"Master wait" her servant said as the bell rang and went and pushed her at his back as he opened the door.

"Good afternoon?" came a girl's confused greeting

"Hey, Kriss" she replied back as she pushed Diarmuid out of the way "move" she said in a bossy tone to the servant and then to the girl "come on in, Diarmuid was going to wait for me in the other room"

"I think…"

"Other room, **now**" she said putting emphasis on the now.

Lancer had no other choice but to surrender and entered the kitchen. Elwing welcomed the girl into her room and they started talking. He looked around the kitchen, the table was full with bread crumbs and as he went further he saw the cooker which had coffee stains all over. He did not know whether he should clean it or not. He walked further and saw the view that her apartment offered. To the right there were other apartment buildings that were 4 stories high like hers but in front he could see houses and in the distance something similar to a warehouse. He heard a nervous laughter and a "_he's a friend_" reply, which meant that the girl had inquired about his person. It seemed only natural since his master seemed to not only live alone, but not receive many guests. He sighted as he found his master quite a sad person. He continued thinking whether he should take her offer to find a new master or stay with her. She did not fall pray to his curse and that made him happy, also if her analysis on her powers was correct then their chances of wining were indeed slim. He was still surprised at how she acted. The way she bossed him around at the door and the night before was proof that she was not weak at all. Maybe her will was the thing that kept her away from the curse that bound him. She was the first female master he ever had. He looked at her through the glass door that separated the balcony and the living room. His master was urging his pupil to answer the question she had posed. She was serious but without being stern. She didn't seem sad anymore. Maybe the student was good or maybe she enjoyed teaching.

Their eyes met and she gave him a smile. And then she turned to her student and lowered her head as she showed the small girl something. He turned as well and looked out the window. He had to make a decision before his master was finished. He remembered the wooden sword on the armchair; it had some scratches on it from use. And she mentioned Kendo, something that was foreign to him but seemed to have meaning. The door opened and Elwing came in.

"Lancer!" she called "I gave Kriss a break, you don't have to sit in here alone you know. Do you know how to use a computer?"

"I'm afraid not"

"Too bad, you could have sat at my brother's computer and do something to keep you busy. Well…if you want…you can sit with us, only that…I would ask you not to interrupt me unless it's important" she said and came near him and whispered "and nothing about this war. As far as she is concerned, you are my friend and we're practicing for Kendo. Understood?"

"Yes, master"

"And, no master. Call me by my name."

"I understand"

He followed her back to the living room where the small girl was watching something on her phone.

"Elwing, Elwing" she began "Let me show you some wedding dresses"

"Kriss, no" she replied blushing

"Come on, we're on our break and you should get married."

"Why would I get married?"

"Because you see…I haven't been to a wedding in a long time. And I really want to go. So let me pick a dress for you."

"Fine! You still have 5 minutes from your break"

"Yes!" the girl said and she started browsing "well you need something simple. You always liked simple, right? Right! How about this one"

"Too big. I'd look like a freakin' peacock"

"And this one"

"This one seems nice, buuuut….Let me!" Elwing said. She wrote Celtic wedding dresses and found a dress with black waves on "I like this one. But I think it's Persian not Celtic" she said

"It's Celtic" came Lancer's reply. Without the two even noticing he snuck behind them the whole time watching the dresses that the two girls were talking about.

"It's…well…" Elwing started murmuring "It's the closest that you get to en elf's dress" she said blushing.

"Ah, Elwing. You and your games" came Kriss' reply

"Anyways" she began "I have no one to marry so that's that. Kriss let's get back to our things, Present Perfect won't learn itself."

Diarmuid took his place behind Elwing. He started looking at the ceiling and at the photos depicting elves, dwarves, dragons, shinigami-s with swords, a gunman with white hair and dark knight with a sword close to a rapier that caught his attention. In the same time he listened to his master's voice while she explained what signal words that tense had and how to use it. She let a joke slide from time to time but kept the girl on her task without having to raise her voice. She ended her lecture by urging her student to make some lists and reminded her that she was supposed to do them ages ago. She saw her student off and closed the door and sighted loudly.

"I'm talking to the freakin' walls."

"What's wrong master?'

"She has brains but god she's almost as lazy as her sister. Ah! Don't mind me, I'm just ranting. About the wedding dresses please don't mind us. We were just being girls. I hope it didn't insult you or anything."

"It did not!"

"Pfew! For a second there I thought you were going to kill me" she replied relieved. "Now back to the elephant in the room, which is pink, rides a unicycle and has a small umbrella in its trunk" she said smiling

"I do not see it, master"

"It was a metaphor that went too far, let's talk about the big problem we have."

"Master stop! Please listen to me. I do not wish to find another master. I want to fight this war with honor like a knight should. You are the master that summoned me and I shall keep my vows as a knight. There is _also the elephant in the room_ as you said that you might die. I will respect your wish to find me another master if you fear for your life"

"Fear for my life?! Sorry Lancer, I do not fear death. You want to fight this war with me, fine by me"

"What do you mean, you do not fear death. Everyone fears death!"

"The only thing I fear is how I die. And dying in a war seems a lot more fun that dying alone and forgotten." she replied giving a shrug.

Lancer could not hide his perplexity. Everything from the night before seemed to come back. He remembered how the girl felt because he felt it as well. The indifference towards death, the cold grip of reality, it was all baffling to him.

"They say that only fools do not fear death" she continued snapping him out of his dream like state "but, meh, I guess I'm a fool. It's not like I have anything better to live for. And don't you dare pity me" she almost yelled the last sentence "I hate pity! It makes me feel weaker than I already am!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, master"

"Well… I guess it's settled then…we're fighting. What are we fighting for Lancer?"

"I do not know, master" he smiled back

"Don't you have a wish?"

"I only wish to serve my master well"

"Really? No wish at all? Maybe get to see your wife and kids?"

"No, their time has passed and so did mine. I am only a knight now, your knight"

"I have no wish as well"

"What about fortune, conquering, power?"

"Do you want me to choose them?"

"I do not wish to force your hand. I merely wanted to know what happened to those wishes"

"They're a pain. And I still think that this wish is bad news. So we don't have anything to fight for"

"It seems we do not"

"Yet you wish to fight?"

"This is what I was summoned for"

"Then…let's fight to win!"

"Master?!" Lancer seemed baffled once more

"Yea…Let's fight to win. I hate loosing anyway. I can't stand loosing to be more exact. I don't handle loss very well, actually I can't handle it at all, my broken keyboards are living testament of that" she said smiling "Now…are there any other rules to this fight?"

"The fights should be a secret as magic is a secret in this world. Witnesses should be dealt with. Apparently these are rules set by the mages."

"So to hell with them" she interrupted "Sorry!"

"To hell with them indeed, master" Diarmuid replied

"Don't copy my curses. A knight should be always stout and not have a foul mouth. I'll try to control mine."

"You are giving me lessons on being a knight?!" he said looking at her curious

"Ammmm…sorry…that was a miss step on my part! After all you're the knight who lived a few millennia ago, not me. So sorry" she said backing up from him

"You…" he started laughing "Master…" he said between laughs "are one of a kind"

"Yea…I am" she replied back "One more of me and the apocalypse would begin. Anyway I am guessing that war started already?"

"No! The 7 servants have not been summoned yet. But we can battle the existing ones, if that is your wish"

"It means we have some time, which is good. Let me send a message." She went back to her pc and wrote to someone. "I think I will go with 2 bokkens if that is ok. All the good that will do me since you are all legendary heroes" she continued ironically

"So you wish to fight beside me?"

"That's all I can do, although I will surely die in the first battle."

"I am truly honored, master" he replied bowing

"Don't be honored. I said I'd die in the first fight not actually fight. What exactly are these servants. You said you were of the Lancer class, which means there are other classes or you are all Lancers"

"There are 7 of us. Lancer, Caster, Archer, Saber, Berserker, Rider and Assassin."

"Ugh! OK! Road Trip! We're going to my bitch of a mother's house. Oh! And he replied, seems I will be getting my second bokken. Well first thing's first. We should scout around town a bit. At least get you familiarized with the terrain. But what do we do with the clothes? Nothing I have fits you!"

"I think I can model something!"

"Huh?"

"Can you show me some pictures of modern attire?"

"Sure!" she replied and found a picture of different suits

Lancer studied one of the pictures and then concentrated and within a fraction of a second he was wearing a black suit with a green shirt and a black tie and black shoes. Elwing looked at him in awe.

"That…was… unexpected" she managed to say "that would have been helpful last night" she said as she got up from her chair "and yes, I am never happy." She continued as she started to put her boots on, then her coat. Lancer created a coat as well and followed his master. As they left the apartment, before he could pass the doorway she said blushing "You look stunning by the way!" and closed the door with the key, then changed her mind and went back in only to emerge with her bokken. She took the tsuba (guard) off and put it in her pocket. She closed the door again and started going down the stairs with Lancer close behind her.

Once they were outside, Elwing took a deep breath and said out loud "Welcome to Romania! The shit hole of Europe in the 21st century". She started walking with Diarmuid behind her until she couldn't take it anymore, rolled her eyes and dragged him at the same place where she was "walk next to me for crying out loud. I am not the Pope." Lancer nodded and started walking at the same pace as her. She didn't talk, because she didn't know what to say, the town itself wasn't much. It was quite small and where they needed to go, they would reach in less then 15 minutes on foot. At the crossroad Elwing grabbed Diarmuid's hand, looked both ways and dragged him along, only to repeat it at the next road. In her eyes, her servant may be a knight but he was still learning about the modern world. After they crossed she let go of his hand and started walking further.

They passed a supermarket and a school and reached another apartment building. The town was full of apartment buildings. Not much to show other than that, especially in her side of town. They went to the 4th floor and she whispered to Diarmuid as she knocked on a door "Don't let me run away, his mother scares me". In response Lancer nodded but couldn't help smiling. As soon as he knocked, the door opened and a mountain of a woman smiled at them.

"Elwing!" came out of her mouth with joy. "Rumyel's out but he will be back in a bit. Enter! Enter!"

"Good afternoon, Mrs Crimson" she said smiling _"someone please shoot me_" she thought terrified.

"And who is your friend here?"

"This is Diarmuid. I'm afraid we can't stay long but I do need Rumyel's bokken!"

"Oh! He will be here in just a bit. You should wait. I don't know where he put it. Enter and wait"

"Thank you!" Elwing replied _"Ow, we're fucked_" she thought. She looked at Diarmuid scared but sure enough he unlaced his shoes and waited for her to move. She sighted relieved and they enter the living room.

"What can I get you?" the big woman said "some juice, I know you don't drink coffee Elwing"

"Juice would be fine, thank you" she replied sitting on the yellow sofa that ruled the living room. Diarmuid soon followed and when she made a gesture for him to come and sit next to her, he obeyed.

"She seems a kind woman!"

"She is, but God she scares me"

He smiled at her trying to reassure her. Soon after his mother entered the room with a plate of cookies and juice the door opened and a bulky blond male entered the room. He entered smiling, but soon lost his smile when he saw the man sitting next to the girl.

"Hi! I'm Rumyel" he said extending a hand to greet Diarmuid

"Diarmuid ua Duibhne" the servant replied shaking his hand firmly.

"So you need my bokken?!"

"Thank you" the girl replied to Rumyel's mother and then to Rumyel "yes! I do need your bokken"

"I thought you broke yours but it seems fine at the door"

"It's fine but I need a second one. If I break it I pay it, I promise"

"That's not a problem" he replied and went to bring the wooden sword "It's thread is broken, but functional nonetheless"

"It's called a tsuka-ito" Elwing replied in an all-knowing tone

"Whatever. Thread. I'm not much into katanas anyways, you know I prefer the Chinese swords."

"True. But it doesn't hurt to know. Anyway we can't stay long, we still have some appointments to keep. Thank your mother for everything" she said and got up. Almost instantaneously, Diarmuid was on his feet. After getting dressed again she told Rumyel "Give me a hug and I will see you in the game if I have time. Ow…by the way…I might not be online for a few days, I need to go to my mother's house, please shoot me." And with the last words she exited the house.

When they got outside again she looked back at the lights from the 4th floor where Rumyel lived, then at the night sky. Lancer was still behind her, she could feel his presence so vividly. A gust of wind passed them and her hair shifted its place.

"Could you tell if he was a magus?"

"He is not a master, that's for sure."

"Good!" she replied turning around with a smile on her face "now where to…"

"Wherever my master wishes!" Diarmuid smiled back.

"I guess we can go to the center and walk back home or something. I don't think …nevermind. I should think everything. Let's just go" she replied and took the tsuba off the second bokken as well as the thread that was on the handle.

"May I ask why you did that. Those guards would have provided protection for your hands"

"Because they're plastic and can be easily broken and because this way the bokkens are masked as two pieces of wood" she replied as they moved.

They ran out of daylight but they saw half the town. They also visited the cliffs, at night the statues there looked like grotesque giants and the wind was howling mad. Elwing was looking around as much as Diarmuid, trying to memorize the surroundings, as if she saw them for the first time.

"If there would be a fight. I would love it to be here. It's open."

"Not that much, an archer or caster could easily control the high ground"

"True, but this is as open as it gets. The rest are just some parks and maybe the 3 football stadiums. Other than that I don't know, pretty closed spaces. You need space for your dual spear wielding. I don't know!" she whined at the end.

"Your assessments are correct. But I can do well in closed spaces as well. My Gae Dearg is made for close combat"

"You're a closed and medium range class, not bad."

Diarmuid smiled and continued walking by his master side. He seemed somewhat relieved that the master and the wish issues had been solved. Now his mind sat only at protecting the woman next to him. He loved fighting, that was out of the question, but he didn't know how to react to his master's idea of using twin wooden swords. This was a war after all and 6 masters will die a brutal death, same awaited 6 of the servants. Those wooden swords would do little for her. He had no healing, no support. It was indeed a difficult situation. He continued thinking as his mind memorized the surroundings. His best tactic would be to keep her home or somewhere protected while he fought the other servants head on. He will let no chance escape him and let the others even get wind of his master, the girl had to be kept in the dark.

"I think I have a good idea of this town's layout. Can we go to that building?" he said pointing at a huge hotel.

"Of course" she replied and showed him the way.

Once they reached the hotel he jumped on the fence and then on a pole and then on a balcony on the 3rd floor. He continued to jump until he reached the top. He could see Elwing looking up at him, but he wasn't sure that she actually saw him. He heightened his senses and looked around. He wasn't an archer but he still had a few tricks up his sleeves. After he finished he materialized next to his master and was greeted with a scream from her.

"How did you, when did you…Never mind" she almost screamed after she got her pulse back "You're full of surprises!"

"I'm glad my master thinks so! Apologies for leaving you alone!"

"No apologies necessary. Are you always this gallant?"

"I don't understand"

"Never mind" she answered smiling.

They started walking back home. Again they didn't talk, Elwing was thinking of plans and situations and trying to measure her reactions while Lancer was fighting his doubts about his master's power. Until this point he liked his master but she herself said that she is scared of hitting someone, the way she took his hand just to cross a street and the night before, tucking him in like he was a babe made him doubt things even further. He shook his head trying to put his mind into memorizing what he was seeing. They took a different route when returning, one that left Lancer wondering what was with this bizarre town. The holes in their streets were huge, place unpopulated; the terrain seemed to slowly sink. The river that they passed at the cliffs had such a horrible smell to it compared to the rivers he knew back home. He wondered if his home was as wild and as green as he remembered.

"Something wrong?" Elwing asked awaking him

"No. I was thinking of my time and how different it seems"

"Ah! Don't worry, I am sure your country is still as green and as beautiful as you remember it. Romania is the problem and Galati most of all. I came back to this city, yearning for the company of the friends I knew but other than that, the town is dead and dirty."

"Master…" he began hesitating "may I speak freely?"

"Sure. I hope you always do"

"You have such a dark view of this world. Is there nothing that you like in it?"

"Animals! I love animals! But then again I had to give up my dog and they sold my horse. What else can I ask?!"

"Who did?"

"My sweet family of course! Don't worry you'll meet them tomorrow…unfortunately. Please don't kill them. Or do…I don't know…probably don't"

After that, silence fell like an iron curtain on them. They reached Elwing's apartment building around 2 am. The girl changed into her pajamas and went to bed.

Lancer changed back into his armor and sat at the corner of the bed.

"Do I have to drag you to bed again? Seriously!"

"No master" he replied and put his spears next to the bed and he laid next to her.

She tucked him in and fell asleep shortly. After he made sure she was sleeping, Lancer got up and took his position on the corner of the bed, facing the window and the door. As long as she had mana to spare he didn't need sleep. He looked at the girl who was his master and who was sleeping soundly. She didn't seem a threat to anyone hidden under the blanket. Maybe she wasn't meant to be his master. He was to be summoned to that ring either way, but had he waited a little longer, maybe he would have been summoned to a mage. The fact that he forced her to summon him then was only because his chivalry wouldn't let an innocent die. He was managed to relax as he felt just how much man she really had. If she didn't have enough mana then he would have been forced to kill innocent people and he did not wish that. He still had to tell her about the symbol on her hand. But he did not like the idea that his master had 3 spells to keep him in check. For a second he dozed off, seeing the long forgotten memories of his homeland.

Day 3

Elwing woke before the phone rang. This time she felt she was smarter to put it under her pillow. She looked at the foot of her bed and saw Lancer sleeping while leaning on his spear. She sighted and shook her head. Carefully as not to wake him she took the blanket and put it around his shoulders. She could feel his breathing and couldn't help but smile. Then she got up and shook her head. "_Yoshi!_" she thought to herself, she bumped her fists together and took her clothes from the armchair and went to the bathroom as quite as possible.

Lancer opened his eyes as the door closed. The blanket surrounded him with an unnatural scent and between that he could detect his master's scent. She was using too much deodorant. But that was good in a way; it made her hard to track. He got the blanket off him and arranged it on the bed, then exited in the dark hallway. He could hear the water from the faucets and see Elwing's shadow moving busily behind the glass panels of the bathroom door. He leaned on the wall and waited with his short spear in hand. He closed his eyes to feel his surroundings but a ring disrupted his concentration.

"Aaaa…crap" came Elwing reply. She bursted out of the door, passed Lancer and jumped into the bed getting the phone from under the pillow "Hello!" she said into the strange device "yes mother. Me and a friend and I will be bringing my weapons. I want to use my bow, tell dad to improvise a target" she replied and then after a pause "I'll bring the recurve one as well. Bye!" then she turned to Diarmuid "good morning. Sorry if I woke you up" she told him smiling.

"No, you did not. Did something happened? You seemed tense, master?"

"I told you we are going to visit my parents. They've been planning a grill party more or less with the other parts of my family. Don't expect anything fancy! It will give me some time to go on the hills there and practice. And maybe you can practice with me, if you want that is" she was saying as she was packing her weapons. Out of the wardrobe she pulled out pieces of a second bow "this bow is for right handed, I'm left handed. Tell my dad you start something and you wake up with gifts that don't fit you because he thinks he knows it all. Ow, well a gift is a gift! So, the idea is that I want to see how weak I am. I mean I know I am weak but I just want to see how badly!"

"Very well master!"

"There are some rules for today. One -What ever happens don't call me master. Two- ignore my idiot family, they will surely make fun of me, don't mind them. Three – try to enjoy yourself if possible. I know you don't drink or eat but they will be offered to you, discard them somewhere, I know my dog will be more than happy to receive human food!"

"I said it is not necessary. But we can eat and drink and be very merry. I am Irish after all!"

"Yes I know, you, the Polish and the Russians, heavy drinkers."

"I do not know about those, but we do love drinking and feasting as all people do."

"Knock yourself out then, Diarmuid" she said waving her hand "and sorry. I pride myself with the semantics and neglected that. I kept you hungry for 2 days. Truly sorry!" she said, hoping that the floor would open and swallow her whole.

"Like I said, do not worry about me. I do not feel thirst or hunger in the sense that you do."

"Pfew! Dodged a bullet there" she said relieved. She took the packed weapons to the hallway and entered the room again. She looked at her servant who was sitting on the bed, she approached him slowly, her cheeks felt as if they were on fire and she knew she was blushing. Then, she leaned forward and pinched Diarmuid at the waist. Although she felt as if her fingers would break in his hard body she still pinched. Her servant did not respond, so she pinched him again and again. "_What is his body made of, titanium or something_" she thought getting annoyed. Everyone she had pinched like that jumped like crazy or at least said ouch "_Jump, god damn you, say ouch_" she was screaming in her head.

"Master?" came Diarmuid's reply after the 5th pinch

"I am trying to provoke you to fight me" she replied sighing, admitting defeat.

"Why didn't you say so! Try again then!"

"I have lost interest!" she sighted "You really didn't feel anything?"

"I did, a lot" he replied trying to cheer his master.

"Don't mock me! You didn't feel anything, did you?!"

"Just a nudge" he said and then quickly regretted it as his master's expression changed to anger.

"Fine, I'll try again" she said with a superior air. "_I'll kill you_" she thought.

She reached for his waist furiously and the next second she felt the air going out of her lungs. Everything happened in less than a second. One moment she was facing Diarmuid and the next she was staring at the book shelves. She knew she was on the bed.

"Master?" her servant said. She must have had a terrified expression on her face since Diarmuid came closer and looked at her.

"I'm fine!" she replied. "_That was a lapse, an oversight, that's what it was_" she told herself. "_He can't be this fast, he's human, was human_" her mind was still hazy. "Let's try this from a standing point" she told her servant going in front of him and taking a guarding stance.

"Master, I don't think…"

"Fight me already" she said pouting.

Diarmuid got up and leaned his spear on the wall. He looked at the girl in front of him. She did not react when he grabbed her and threw her on the bed. He concluded that she was slow indeed. He deduced that she also lacked power; he had to be very careful not to hurt her. He took a stance close to boxing and waited. In response Elwing took back her stance and waited as well. They stood a good 30 seconds, neither wanting to attack. In the end the girl lost patience and went for a palm strike towards his chin, but he easily grabbed her hand and twisted it behind her back only to see her turn and try to hit his neck. For him it seemed like Elwing's movements took forever. He easily dodged it and put pressure on his master's hand which he was still holding loosely. In response she went with her foot on his, trying to break his balance but slid off and hit the floor with her knee. Diarmuid saw enough, he didn't want to humiliate her further so he put a bit of force that made his master fall on the ground and immobilized her. She was still fighting him, trying to get up, even though she had no chance. He shook his head and let her go. She was fuming, but did not say a word. She took the same distance as before they started and said in an arrogant tone, much to Diarmuid's astonishment "Again!" The second time did not yield any new results. She still ended up on the ground, but this time she let out a small grunt as she was on the ground. It was clear by now that she was getting tired, she was breathing more quickly but did not let up. After Diarmuid let go of her, she went to the same spot and growled "Again!". This time Diarmuid stood still, he even opened his stance a little. As she attacked, he did not move, but nothing hit him. Elwing's palm stopped before his chin, it did not even touch him. She stepped back and took her stance again. Lancer did not move and this time she went for his chest but again stopped.

"Why aren't you stopping me?" she said exasperated.

"You are not hitting me" came his reply.

"I can't, can I" she said, her voice coming close to tears.

"May I?"

"Go ahead" she replied taking her stance.

Diarmuid nodded and when he thought her ready, he threw I light punch. Elwing went to block it with both her hands, shrinking behind them, forgetting about her guard and closing her eyes. Lancer did not hit, just like her, he stopped. He let his hand fall and shook his head.

"You really can't fight, can you?!" he whispered.

"I …no…not like this. I can hit with the weapons. That's why I usually have my bokken with me" she replied and went to the bathroom.

As soon as she entered the room she started crying. She was always overpowered when playing with her friends but now it was different. She realized that she couldn't fight, not at the Servant's level. She was weak, there was no doubt about it, but her pride did not let her truly believe that. She would never give up even in the worst of circumstance, but now, his life depended on her. It wasn't a game and it wasn't something she could just respawn in the closest town when killed. It wasn't an mmo and it wasn't a fairy tale. She wanted to break something so bad, she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She felt Lancer's presence just outside the door and she tried to control her sobs.

"Are you allright, master? Did I hurt you?"

"No!" came a response that wanted to seem strong "_only my pride, you idiot_" she thought in her despair.

She washed her face a few times, although her eyes were red and puffy. As soon as she opened the door she found herself staring at Diarmuid's chest. "_Damn your tall_" she thought as tears were gathering in her eyes.

"Move please" she told him, her voice wavering.

"It was very well done master" her servant said as he put his hand on her shoulder

"Don't patronize me and don't pity me" she yelled at him as she removed his hand "I know I am weak. I'm the freakin' weakest thing alive. I just can't accept it, ok. I can't!" she finished and pushed him out of the way and went to her room and closed the door with a bump that almost made the mirror fall.

"Master!" Diarmuid said opening the door only to find his master staring at the monitor with the log in screen of some game "you are not weak"

"Ow! Spare me!" she said clenching her jaw.

"The techniques were good and your judgment was also" he continued in a very serious tone "but indeed your are not in par with a Servant. Not even the mages that summon us can truly control us. There are some things that I didn't tell you"

"I don't think anything can surprise me at the moment" she replied still staring at the monitor.

"The mark on your hand. Those are 3 Command Spells. It helps masters keep their servants under control. We cannot disobey these 3 orders. They also give us advantage in battle. Short commands are the strongest. For example if I am wounded, if you order me to fight through that spell I will get up and fight no matter how injured I am. If you use a long term command like always obey me, it will have effect but not as powerful, and I might be able to even disobey."

"This works only on you…right?"

"Yes master!"

"I don't need them. We get along fine" she told him sulking. "I'm sorry I yelled. I just can't stand losing. I am truly a poor loser" she told him sighing.

"You're also stubborn" he said

"Hey! I pride myself on that" she replied

"I did not mean it as a bad thing master" Diarmuid quickly replied

She shook her head and entered her account and password to find her characters. She choose one and entered the world she was accustomed to. "_So even servants go berserk. Let's hope then that the Berserker class lives up to his name and kills his master_" she thought and then turned to Diarmuid.

"What happens to the servants if their master dies?"

"They have a day or two, depending how strong they are to find a new master or else they disappear. If we are killed we disappear. It's quite simple."

"Ahaaaa!" came her reply

"_So if I die it's no biggie, he has time to get a new master. Shouldn't be that hard, I mean any mage would kill for a servant like him. Kill! Yeeea….that's the main word isn't it. Maybe disarming the master will work as well"_ she thought as she steered her character through a town. She seemed displeased and went and changed characters. Lancer was behind her as usually. He was relieved that she declared she would not use her Command Spells and was smiling like a little puppy behind her. She changed her character for the third time and closed the game.

"Why isn't she calling already! It's passed 11 am. For them one hour means 3 or what?!" she said displeased.

"What do you mean master?"

"My mother needs to call me so we meet in front of the building with my uncle and he takes us with a car to where they live."

"Ah! A vehicle like the one from 2 nights ago"

"Something similar! Well I guess I should teach you how to use a phone and a computer. Should keep me busy until the bitch rings!"

"If you are not in good terms with your family why go?"

"Ow…I am in good terms with them…as long as we don't see each other" she replied and took her phone.

She explained as well as she could how it worked and what it was used for. After she finished she gave it to him to play around with and started searching some things on the internet. She looked at the price of swords, real ones not the one she had and sighted each time she saw the digits. Finally the phone rang, much to Diarmuid's surprise. He slid the top and could hear a voice.

"Elwing, come down in 5 minutes. Elwing?"

"Yes mom!" she answered loudly and pushed the top back in, ending the call.

"That is quite amazing. Such a small magical device"

"What? No! It's not magical, it's technology. But then again you can call magic technology we don't understand. I am still not sure how this magic manifests itself here."

"I do not know how to explain that master. I will try, although I am not a Caster."

"Don't bother then, and from this moment it's Elwing or Eva. We're meeting my family!" she said exasperated that her servant will surely call her master.

She got her coat and Diarmuid opened the door for her. They existed the house and after locking it they started down the stairs. He was walking casually with his weapons dressed in his suit. Elwing could not thing of anything more inappropriate to wear for the countryside. He looked more like a hitman than a knight even with those spears in hand. He opened the front door for her, making her smile. "Thank you!" she whispered. She liked being pampered like that, a small master here, an opened door there, him kneeling. She still didn't forget him kneeling, twice. "_Twice, damn it_" she thought, her smile getting even brighter as she hummed something. She had forgotten all about being immobilized to the ground.

"You seem in good spirits master. Is the prospect of seeing your family pleasing you now?" he said confused

"Of course not. I was thinking of something else. Doesn't matter now…here they come"

The car itself seemed so small compared to the other vehicle. It made a bigger noise as well. It was a dark green Dacia 1310 and on top of it sat a few wooden boards.

"Lancer, we'll put the red spears on the car as soon as we are in, make it disappear and when we stop at the house make it reappear. I don't want your weapon damaged" she told him fast and started walking towards where the car stopped.

"Hey, Mitica, George" she said pleased _"God please shoot me now_" she was thinking.

"How are you balaure?*"

*Note: Balaur –Romanian mythological creature similar to a dragon.

"Fine. Guys this is Diarmuid ua Duibhne, a friend of mine" she said smiling and then to Diarmuid "Mitica, my dad, George my uncle" she presented the two.

They shook hands as customary and Elwing proceeded to putting the weapons on the back seat. She turned to Diarmuid and said uncomfortable.

"May I?" referring to his weapons

Diarmuid gave her his Gae Dearg without hesitation and she arranged it as well as she could, touching the spear as little as possible. She felt unconformable holding it. The weapon didn't belong to her, but somehow she knew it was very powerful. When she finished arranging it she got in the car with Diarmuid sitting next to her, closer than usual.

"We'll start the grill when we get home" announced Mitica "Do you play Ping-Pong Diarmuid"

"No. I have never heard of it" he replied

"Diarmuid isn't Romanian, Mitica. He doesn't know a lot of things" Elwing quickly said.

"How can you not know Ping-Pong. Everyone knows Ping-Pong. And he speaks Romanian very well."

"He had a good teacher" she replied clearly uncomfortable "_God freakin damn it, shoot me now. I am sooooo fucked_" was all she could think about.

They reached the house on the hill, a solitary structure. As soon as they stopped she went out and looked for Gae Dearg. Luckily it was there. She then went straight to the fence where 3 huge black dogs sat. She opened the gate and went straight for the blackest of them all.

"Shade sweety! Mommy's here!" she said crying. She patted the dog, hugged the dog.

"See!" came a woman's voice "she's happier here. She looks like an athlete" the woman continued

"Yea" came a cold reply

"Hi! I'm Lucica, Elwing's mom"

"Diarmuid ua Duibhne" came the knight's reply with a small bow.

Elwing had completely forgotten about him being so concerned with her dog. She got up in an instant and turned around. She saw Diarmuid getting his second spear out and putting them on the ground. The. he went for the other weapons. Elwing felt so guilty leaving him alone, but as soon as she opened the gate the dogs went out and started jumping on him.

"Yuna, Shade Clouseau!" came Lucica's screams, but the dogs would not budge. They were wagging their short tails like crazy and jumping on him.

"They like you" Elwing said smiling

"Yes, they do" he replied petting the animals "this one is yours?" he continued grabbing Shade's paws making her on its hind legs.

"Yes, that's Shade. The Russian tank there is Yuna, she's the pack leader and the pup is Clouseau" she replied and went to gather the weapons who had fallen on the ground

They entered the huge courtyard and to the house. The house itself wasn't big, 3 small rooms and an open area where the kitchen stood. There was little furniture, a rough wooden table and two benches, a freezer and the kitchen cabinets near a stove was all that decorated the room. Elwing went to the first chair and left her coat. She gathered her bow and strung it. Then she took the arrows and the bokkens in the other hand.

"Let's go!"

"Hey hey" came Lucica's reply "You just got here"

"Yea…I know…I wanna shoot some arrows. We'll talk later"

"What's with the theatrics" came her mother's reply

"I don't want to hear it" Elwing's cold voice sounded and left.

All this time Diarmuid was near her, but he did not like the way she acted towards her parents. They were fallowed by the dogs everywhere and as they went to the back of the garden she found a lost empty soda bottle and put it as target. Her servant was still near her but he did not talk. She put on her archery gloves and prepared to shoot.

She arranged her stance and shot the first arrow. It missed by far, the next one was closer but still didn't hit the target. The third was even closer but still a miss. The last one she let fly with her frustration and missed by a long shot.

"See what I mean. I suck!" she told Diarmuid and went to get her arrows.

But she did not quit, she continued shooting until her arm felt numb. Again and again, but she couldn't hit the target. She got angry and then calmed down again and again angry and then calming down. All through the session her mood changed only to end in tears and anger at the end.

"You have nothing to say to me?" she asked Diarmuid "nothing to correct?"  
"I do know how to shoot a bow but I am no archer. I do not dare lecture my master on such"

"Frankly, I need the lecture. As you saw I can't hit the target"

"Hitting a stationary target isn't everything. I doubt the other masters will sit still for you to practice"

"Well….thank you" came Elwing's reply in a cold tone "I know that"

"Master, your posture is good, you tilt the bow correctly, you arm the arrow correctly, but you think too much when aiming and your hand starts shaking. We should make more arrows as well."

"Was it so hard to tell me?!" she said ironically

"No" he replied smiling as if not understanding the irony.

"Eh!" was all she could muster to say

"I think there's game in these hills. I saw a rabbit in your parent's garden" he said his eye lighting up

"Not that rabbit. My mom says the dogs are hunting it, although I think it's their friend more than their meal. But yes, I heard that there are some peacocks or something around here and rabbits more than likely. It's November, there are no crops, we can move as we please on these hills."

"Would you like to go hunting master?"

"Elwing" she replied looking around, but they were alone.

"Would you?"

"I would, but I will scare everything away. And I don't think I can kill anything."

"We will see" he answered "this way"

He moved his weapons to his right hand and grabbed his master's wrist pulling her with him. He seemed so happy. She did remember from the story that he liked to go hunting. And he was walking so fast that she was already running.

"Where are you going?" her mother asked as she saw them going towards the gate

"Hunting!" she yelled in response.

They went around the property to a small forest which Diarmuid saw in the distance. It wasn't much but rabbits were most likely in those hills. As they reached the first trees he let go of her hand and moved Gae Buidhe to his left hand. In response, his master put an arrow on the bow and held her hand on the string.

The so called forest wasn't much. But he felt alive, all alone on the hill. The house itself was a small blot in the distance. He inhaled the clean air and listened to the leaves rustle. He kneeled slowly and put his hand on the earth. Elwing could feel his presence, so warm and yet so powerful. In that one moment she felt as alive as him and she closed her eyes. A gust of wind passed her face and she could feel the leaves dancing.

"A hunting dog would have suited as well" he whispered. He started walking through the trees rotating Gae Dearg. The 2 metter long spear moved which such ease, but she knew better. The minute she held the spear she knew how heavy it really was. It was at least three times as heavy as her bokken. And she had the heaviest bokken in all her dojo, which it gave her great pride. She looked at Lancer's broad back and how the muscles moved and the next second he was gone.

"Diarmuid?" she cried out

"Here!" came the reply from far away.

When she reached him there were two rabbits on the ground. They were dead, blood seeping into the earth. She turned her head.

"Please tell me you will eat those" she said sad

"I am thinking of making them a gift to your parents"

"Yea…mom is going to enjoy that" she said her voice dripping with irony

"Do they not enjoy rabbit meat?"

"It's not that! You know what… I actually think I will enjoy seeing mom's reaction to your gift. Since she can't even take the feathers off a chicken" she said and laughed.

"You are quite cruel to your family master"

"Ow…just wait after the food, they usually pay me back tenfold for everything."

"Master arm your bow, the bird that is coming, shoot it down!"

"I don't think it will work" she said arming her bow and took a shot as her servant said without thinking or aiming but the arrow didn't reach. Instead Diarmuird's Gae Dearg did not miss the spot. The bird came crashing into the soil and the knight already started walking towards the spot with the 2 rabbits in his hand. Elwing went to retrieve her arrow and joined her servants. "Is that an Aquila" she said looking at the bird. Its feathers were brown with some black and white. She looked amazed at it and how easily it fell. It wasn't as big as she imagined it from the pictures. "It's the first time I see one" she said fascinating.

"It's feathers will make the arrows stronger" the knight replied and started moving back.

They walked back towards the house. Her servant seemed pleased with himself and she was happy for him. She tried to remember the feeling she had when she closed her eyes, but couldn't. It was over in an instant for her. Some confidence had returned to her seeing how fast Lancer was. There was no way they could lose. She always preferred speed as an advantage. She always bragged of how fast she was before she got fat. It was her pride after all. "_With speed and technique you can do anything_" she thought.

They entered the propriety again and the dogs were hot on their heels.

"Down!" Elwing said "Down damn you" she yelled and her dog broke off for a few seconds only to go around and go back to Diarmuid's heels "Shade! Fuck all your gods, dog!** Yuna sit, SIT before I hit you, Clouseau get lost!"

**Note – word per word translation of the Romanian curse "Futu-ti toti dumnezeii"

"Down!" came Diarmuid's serious voice and the dogs all sat in unison

"How did you…?" she began

"Your too soft on them" he replied "your dog is the only one to listen to you, more or less"

"Ugh! Tell me about it!"

"You actually caught something?" came her mother's voice "Ow my dear huntress, she said hugging her "or did the young man here do all the work. He did, didn't he?"

"Get off me please" she replied pushing her mother out of her way.

"Mrs. Yasha" Diarmuid began to stop the volcano from erupting "these are for you" he said pushing the two rabbits on his master's mother.

"And what am I to do with these" she asked perplexed

"Oh! You got something!" came her father's reply "Luci, skin them and let's grill them"

"You skin them, do I look like some tanner to you?"

Elwing grabbed Lancer and dragged him towards the house, not that it was much dragging since he always came along obediently.

"What do we do with the bird?" she asked

"I need a table and a good sharp knife. I'll do the rest!"

They entered the house and Elwing showed him to the shower cabin so they won't make a mess. She brought him different knives until he found one that suited him and started working while she looked. From outside she could hear her mother screaming and she couldn't help but smile. This actually proved to be a good day until now. She kept snickering. She was trying to suppress her laughter but when ever her mother hit a high note she almost laughed out loud. Lancer was ignoring her, working as fast as possible in getting the feathers.

Not much passed before her mother stormed into the house.

"Fuck you and your know it all ideas" she replied to something her husband had said

"And all hell breaks lose" Elwing said as her mother came near

"What the hell are you doing in my bathroom" Lucica yelled at them

"Getting my feathers for future arrows" Elwing replied in a smug attitude "I'll clean it up when we're done"

"And you couldn't do it anywhere else than my bathroom"

"No!"

Her mother opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by the arrival of another car. She turned around and walked away.

"Lancer, sorry to interrupt but how much longer?"

"Not long, a few more minutes" he replied

She couldn't help notice how firm his hands where when handling the bird, he put down feather after feather with an amazing speed.

"I need to go play nice. Be back in a bit…alive…I hope"

At the mention of the word alive Lancer stopped and looked at his master. He wanted to tell her something but stopped. She exited the house and was greeted by her aunts and cousins. Her mother was just telling them about the rabbits. They entered the house and her aunt jumped right to the subject.

"I heard you were bringing a boy. Where is he? Let us meet the guy!"

"He's in the bathroom getting my feathers"

"Feather's in the bathroom?"

"Yea…we killed an Aquila, well he did and now he's recovering the feathers so I can use them for arrows" she said and then to herself "_getting my feathers, the fuck am I thinking"._

"You and your silly hobbies" her aunt answered "when are you going to get serious? Life isn't a fairy tale, Elwing. You can't hide from the world in that computer game of yours for ever."

"Lancer!" she yelled, but then she realized her error and she heard him coming to the doorway "this is my aunt Anna, she wanted to meet you. This is Diarmuid ua Duibhne, my friend and underling in my game. He is a Lancer" she said annoyed

"Pleased to make your acquaintance" the servant replied "something wrong?"

"No. Let's get those feathers done. Ana we'll talk later." She said and pushed Diarmuid back to the bathroom "there are times like this that I am glad I am a freak" she said relieved "sorry for calling you Diarmuid. I kinda lost it! I shouldn't call you so casually, I hope I didn't insult you too badly"

"You did not insult me, I am at my master's command" he replied and got back to his work "but you did call me by my class."

"Well, it's good they know I play video games, makes masking the truth easy" she smiled

She went and got a bag and gathered all the feathers. She couldn't believe how clean they were and how well Diarmuid handled them. She arranged them carefully in the bag.

"What shall I do with the rest of the bird?" he asked as he got up and went to the sink to clean himself

"I got a stupid idea" she replied going to the bird's carcass and lifted up between her thump and index, opened the window and yelled "Here Yuna, Shade, Clouseau, Chibo" and threw it out the window.

She could hear one of the dogs grabbing the bird and running away and she couldn't hold back a smile. She walked next to Diarmuid and washed her own hands.

"I just love to see them fight over meals. Survival of the fittest" she said without being asked. "I guess I am quite cruel" she ended saying

"It is not my place to argue with my master, but I do enjoy seeing the dogs fight for scarps. It determines which is best suited for hunting, for guarding. It is not something bad"

"Maybe" she replied letting her imagination wonder.

She cleaned the bathroom as best she could and exited the room. Diarmuid was sitting right outside the door. She had completely forgotten the other people in the house and to her surprise she found them around the rough wooden table smoking and chatting.

"_Shit!"_ she thought "_they must have heard everything. I can't talk in a small voice. Owwww…blunder as big as a mountain…I'm fucked"_. She looked at Diarmuid who was holding the feather bag and awaiting a word or an order. She couldn't tell.

"Diarmuid could you please go get my bokkens, I left them where I shot with the bow, I'll start gathering the rest of the weapons"

"Of course" he replied and left the house

"So Elwing who's your new boyfriend" her older cousin asked "he's pretty"

"He's a friend, a VERY good friend" she said putting emphasis on each word "_Curse"_ she thought "_I forgot about the curse. How can I be so stupid. It reads right on the site in capital letter DIARMUID OF THE LOVE SPOT. No, no, no, it says that who ever gazes. She did gaze, did she?!" _

"Something wrong?" her aunt asked

"NO! No!" she answered "I was just thinking'

"Of?"

"Nothing in particular"

"Your friend is not Romanian, is he?"

"No. He's just visiting"

"And how long will he be staying?"

"A week or so" she answered "I better go see where he is" she managed to say and left the house.

"_The fuck was that?! I was being interrogated and I answered everything…Maaaa why am I so stupid"_ she thought and went to the grill where the men were. They were talking about politics in football. One of the most boring subject in her book. She sat listening, not knowing half the names. When she saw Diarmuid returning she ran to him.

"It took you a little!" she said smiling

"I also scouted the area!" he replied

"Did you by any chance sit and talked with my cousin?"

"No, I did not"

"Did she happen to be staring at you?"

"No, master I did not curse the girl, I swear" he said panicking.

"Ok" she said relieved

"How many females are there?"

"I think 5"

"I will guard this place far from them"

"Neah! 3 of them are married, including my mother and the other two, well there's my inquiring, blabber mouth cousin and the other one is just a little girl and her smaller sister. That makes 6, I can't seem to be able to count now!"

"You do not know how many cousins you have?" her servant asked

"The respect towards your family has really dwindled in this age, my dear. I respect no authority unless they prove worth of it" she said tilting her head to make her look more arrogant.

"My curse makes no discrimination, Elwing. It will charm any weak female. I cannot control that"

"Then let them suffer"

"You are indeed cruel and…" he hesitated

"And what? Speak!"

"And selfish"

"Yes, I am selfish. I am very selfish. I want revenge for my horse and my dog. Is it so bad?" she asked annoyed

"No! My master"

He made such a sad and disappointed face at her. But in her anger she did no see what he was trying to say. He lowered his gaze and turned to walk away.

"The food is almost ready" she said still angry "you're eating with me at the table"

"Yes master"  
"Stop calling me that" she said taking the bokkens from his hands.

"Yes!"

He was disappointed in woman in front of him. This vengeful side he did not like. He remembered what she told him the night before. "_Animals_" she replied, that was what she loved. He did not miss the sadness when he had killed the rabbits and the way she asked if he was going to eat them. She was really a sad person in his eyes.

Elwing went and put her wooden swords away and re-emerged form the house only to go to the pot next to the grill and take a piece of meat. She ate it happy and licked her fingers. She took another in a fork and went to Diarmuid.

"Here" she said and gave him the piece.

Diarmuid took it from her hand and took a bite. It was juicy and the seasoning on it made it even better. It had been so long that he had tasted food. He had forgotten how good it was. He loved cooking and Grainne always praised him for it. He finished the piece and looked at his master who was smiling. There was no malice in her expression anymore, no anger in her eyes. Could it be the same woman who yelled at him less than 5 minutes ago?! They started walking back and passed the grill.

"Diarmuid!" came George's cry "Come drink with us" he said

"I…" he begand

"Go if you want to" Elwing said

"Come on Elwing, leave him. You can't keep a man on a leash"

"I am not keeping him on a leash" she yelled back angry. "Go and drink, enjoy yourself" she told him in a complete different tone.

He nodded and went to the men. As he approached he left his spears leaning on the wall. The men were debating something else this time and she didn't want to hang around to know what. The women were finishing up the rest of the courses and setting up the table. She immediately turned to walk back to the men's side but it was too late.

"Elwing come help us, here, peal the garlic"

"Why am I always on garlic duty?!" she said dissatisfied to herself.

When they finished the men brought the meat and they sat down, Diarmuid going to her side. They sat all the way to the back and he was happy that his master chose that seat.

"You don't need to hide him" her uncle said

"We only got him drunk"

"What?" she said looking and Diarmuid who shook his head.

"We gave him the insensitive, from here it's your job, you're not underage anymore Elwing?" he uncle said

"Huh?"

"He's hinting at sex Elwing" Anna told her

"I swear I didn't touch your daughter" came Diarmuid firm reply as he stood up almost hitting her "I swear on my honor"

"Hold it!" Mitica said "what you do is your business, not ours"

"Diarmuid, sit down, please" Elwing said putting emphasis on each word "_I'll kill them, I'll kill them all for this_" she thought

"What do you know, she's a grown woman, she does what she pleases" came her mother's reply

"Could we pass my subject, at least this once?!" she yelled.

"Ho! Don't get angry. It was just a jest"

"Yea, elephant, don't worry about it"

"Says the king whale" Elwing tried to reply back without success

"I got package"

The discussion continued in the same manner, with sexual jokes and little words thrown at random. Elwing resigned herself to just eating and shutting up. She kept feeding the dogs under the table while her family sent booze their way and Diarmuid did not refuse. But he didn't seem drunk either, much to her surprise. He didn't seem as comfortable as he was at the beginning. And she felt like yelling _"I told you so!"_ to his face, but didn't. In the end she got a glass of wine herself and drank it slowly. After they were done she got up only to find that she had gotten tipsy and she still had to check her bokken technique with Diarmuid. "_I take it back. This is a horrible day"_ she cried in her head. She went out of the improvised future green house that her father had started and went to the swing. It was a wide swing that allowed her to lie on her back and move slowly. Soon after she sat the dogs all came to her. Shade started licking her hands and she pet the dog. She grew so beautiful in the 3 weeks she had not seen her. She wanted her dog back so badly, her little daughter. She still seemed little in her eyes, despite being a 38 kg black monster of a dog, with a head the size of a watermelon. The dog shook its head and saliva flew everywhere and Elwing couldn't help but laugh. She missed even that, not to mention that Shade always kept her warm at night and always made sure she was sleeping before moving to the end of the bed to better protect her. "_And now I got a human protector who does the same thing_" she thought picturing Diarmuid at the corner of her bed _"He's like a dog in so many ways, smart, loyal, trustworthy. Too bad his king was an idiot and his wife a bigger idiot. I will not dishonor him, or at least try not to_" she thought swinging slowly and falling asleep. Someone sat next to her feet and she realized the swing wasn't moving. She opened her eyes slowly. Her aunt was there.

"Were you sleeping?"

"No" she lied

"You three sit, sit pretty" Anna told the dogs in a fearful tone

"They won't harm you"

"I know, but I am still scared of them"

"What is it?"

"I came to talk"

"I am listening"

"What are you doing with your life, Elwing?"

"Nothing" she said plainly, she knew she was trapped now.

"Nothing indeed, your mother won't help you for long"  
"Yeaaa…you know…she still doesn't"

"Well, she tries. You need to find a job, a man to marry."

"Have you looked recently at me?" she said angry "I'm fat, annoying and bored. I can't lose weight although I am doing a sport. As for jobs, I am well aware but there aren't any, they don't grow on trees if you haven't noticed" she answered.

"I know it's hard! But you do need to find a job so you can live happy. I mean I have this friend, she's a teacher and it's just her and her husband and they managed to save a little and they went all around the world" her aunt started

"Well good for them!" she said as cold as possible

"Don't be like that"

"Like what?"

"Like that. Find something to do, don't sit all day at the computer in that little fantasy world. I mean it is good you talk to people from other countries, but you do just that, talk. Go out, have some fun"

"I have nothing to do out. The only places I would go would be Japan for the Sakura festival, Ireland or Scotland to see their vast plains, hopefully on horse back and well…a desert, maybe Egypt. But I can just as well see those in photos. So nothing new…"

"You make me so angry. You are always so depressing"

"Probably!"

"What are you talking about?" came Lucica's voice

"Just talking to my niece" her aunt smiled.

"I need to find Diarmuid" Elwing said getting up.

"He was playing Ping-Pong with Yasha"

"Ow fucking hell"

"Hey! Watch your mouth" came her aunt's reply

She ran towards the wannabe greenhouse only to find everyone gathered as Diarmuid and her father were playing Ping-Pong and apparently Diarmuid was winning.

He had a broad smile on his face as he made Mitica miss the ball again. His reflexes were impeccable, his moves as sharp as a butcher's cleaver and that smile made Elwing's heart skip a beat. For him this was a fight and he was enjoying every minute of it. He put the racket down a after he hit the ball, knowing it would be his win.

"Elwing. I thought you were sleeping. My apologies!" he said and walked to his master's side

"I was, more or less!" she replied realizing she was holding her hands close to her chest she let them fall and got to her usual self "do you think we can try to see how well I use the bokkens?"

"Of course!" he said lowering his head and walked towards the wall where Gae Buidhe and Gae Dearg sat.

Elwing went to get her wooden swords and they went to the back of the house. The kids all came to watch and Elwing urged them to leave. They wouldn't until she told them that they could watch from inside the house. And true enough, she had an audience which was more than displeasing for her.

"Master, what do you wish to do?"

"Let's just get this humiliation over with" she said "just don't change into your armor"

He nodded and put some distance between them. He knew the swords were wooden and he wasn't allow to break them but it didn't seem a problem since their wielder wasn't that powerful either. He left the middle open to see what his master would do.

Elwing took an easy flexible stance, very close to the Thai Chi one she was using and made a small step towards Diarmuid's spears. As soon as one of the bokken was able to touch the spears she jumped in front trying to push Gae Dearg out of the way so she could block Gae Buidhe. She stopped as both spears flew to the sides.

"Are you mocking me or something?!" she told Diarmuid "fight already! Or am I not worthy of your skills?" she said arrogantly

"I wanted to see what my master would do" he said smiling

"I can take a hit you know, or two or three, you don't need to give me special privileges. Fight or don't, you're choice. I will hit next time, so you know" she said making it look as if she had the upper hand. She knew of course she was trash talking and if Diarmuid could disarm her so easy in hand to hand, who knows what he could do with those spears. He wasn't called a Lancer for nothing.

He nodded and took a stance of his own while she returned, this time closing the space between them. A spear she knew was medium range, but Diarmuid had two, one for close range as well, meaning a dagger would be useless. Not to mention she had swords, her speed was nothing compared to Diarmuid's. She didn't have time to asses the situation since the second she took her stance she saw Gae Dearg come crashing in towards her skull. She raised her bokkens and at the impact she could feel her hands going numb immediately but she managed to stop it. She managed to push Gae Dearg to the side only to see Diarmuid closing in to strike with Gae Buidhe. From instinct she raised her foot to block the short spear since her swords were still holding the long spear. The blow came this time and she clenched her jaw grunting. It hurt, it hurt so badly she wanted to scream in agony, but couldn't. She fell on her knees, tears rolling on her cheek.

"I'm sorry master. Are you allright?"

"I'm fine" she replied wiping her tears "it's nothing" she continued trying to get up. It hurt so much but she put pressure on it clenching her jaw even harder. She walked back to her place and expected Diarmuid to do the same.

"My apologies master. I didn't restrain myself enough" he said kneeling

"Shut up and fight and stop kneeling already. I'm not the bloody Pope"

"Master. I will not fight you. You are injured. I am sorry I went along with this. You are a woman I should have…I…"

"If you ever say that again" Elwing said in rage as she walked towards him "IF YOU EVER SAY THAT AGAIN" she yelled at him grabbed him by his lock and pulled up "LOOK AT ME. If you ever say that again I will end you. Is that clear?!" she told him and let go of his hair. .

She walked away so angry, taking her wooden swords with her. Her leg hurt but that didn't stop her. She went straight to where the adults were.

"Can any of you take us home?' she asked

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I asked: can any of you take me and Diarmuid home?"

"I can, but now?"

"Yes, now."

"What happened?"

"She got her ass kicked by Diarmuid" her cousin came out laughing

"Aaaaa so that's it. Such a stupid thing" her mother said.

"Calm down, here take a glass of wine and calm down elephant" came her father's reply.

She turned around and left. _"Morons, idiots_" she was screaming inside her head _"I'm on a death row here and you are offering me wine. But of course you don't know. None of you do"_ the voice in her head continued. She was angry, not so much at Lancer but on herself. All she could hear now was, "_I'm going to get him killed_" and tears started filling her eyes again.

Meanwhile Lancer got up perplexed and leaned against the old walnut tree. He could not understand why calling her a woman was such an insult. It was only natural for him to want to protect her, he was a knight. The way of Chivalry dictated that he be the protector of women. He saw that she was wearing leggings all the time, but he also spied some dresses in her wardrobe. Did she like to be considered more a man than woman, he could not say. He could feel the alcohol coursing through his veins. It was his own fault for not restraining himself and now this. Just like in the morning she was most likely crying in a place where she could not be seen. He did not wish to humiliate her further so he sat there deep in his thoughts. She was more than powerful for a woman. He had never met a woman who liked fighting so much, or better said what she perceived as fighting. She was also prideful, with an ego that could apparently reach the stars, but honorable. She showed that whenever he refused to defend himself. And in a way he understood her hatred towards her family.

He was happy that she included him, let him drink and eat at her table and just smile to him. Shade came and licked his hand. He pet the dog and turned to look at it better. Elwing had cried when she first put her hand on her. "_Such sadness in a woman so young_" he said to himself _"what am I doing bringing her into this war_". He took his hand of the dog and it sat next to him. He thought of his gray hounds and how unhappy he was when his lady gave them away. He straightened himself and went to find his master. Maybe in the end he could bring some happiness to this girl.

He found her behind another tree, only 30 meters away. She had a stack of used paper handkerchiefs next to her and she was sulking.

"What do you want?" she said in a cold voice as he made a sound to announce his presence.

"I came to make sure you are all right. Are you in pain?"

When she heard Diarmuid's voice she sat up immediately and looked at him. He looked serious but not stern. He even made the effort to smile a little trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry" she said and tears started rolling of her cheek "I'm sorry I threatened you, I'm sorry I put you to eat with us when you didn't want to, I'm sorry my parents are such messed up people and I am sorry I am not the master you deserve"

Diarmuid came closer and hugged his master. He hugged her so tight as to show her that nothing in this world could touch her.

"You have done nothing wrong, my master. I am the one at fault here. I apologize!" he said in the end

The girl finally calmed down and they returned only to find that nothing changed while they were away. Her family was merry as ever and as soon as they saw them, they offered Diarmuid a drink that looked like water.

"This is the real Romanian drink! You can't leave without tasting it" George said "this is tzuica. It's even better than Russian vodka" he went on.

"Thank you, but I must refuse" he replied

"Go ahead and try it" Elwing told him "it is Romanian after all and we're going home soon so you can take a nap and wash it all away"

"Thank you" he ended up saying taking the small glass. He drank the liquid from one tilt of the head and felt the burning sensation on his throat that began to amplify until he said "what is it. It seems to be 99% alcohol and 1% water"

"Exactly" came Mitica's reply while filling his glass.

Diarmuid looked confused at Elwing but she only smiled and walked to her aunts. He took the glass and emptied it. It was nothing like the drinks he had back home. At the 3rd glass he already felt his feet leaving him. Elwing came back shortly only to find him sitting on the bench with his head leaning on his hand.

"You ok?" the girl asked

"I don't know what that demonic drink is, but it's good. Excuse me master, I am drunk now"

"From one glass?' she asked amazed

"No, 3'

"Ow boy!" she said and exhaled loudly "Ana will take us home. I'm going to go pack the weapons. Stay here. And I mean stay, don't move, don't pass go, don't collect 200."

"Yes master" he answered confused at the last words she had used.

She went and packed everything as fast as she could. If Lancer was drunk who knew what he might say. She was already a screw up in the eyes of her family, he on the other hand shouldn't be seen as one. She didn't understand exactly why she cared so much but she pushed the thought away and packed frantically. She packed everything except the 2 metter spear. So she returned to get Lancer. He was indeed where she left him. In the exact spot with the exact position of his hand, she started wondered if he had the same expression as well. She shook her head and told him.

"Come on Diarmuid. We're going home!" and lent a hand which her servant took in gratitude "make Gae Dearg disappear" she told him in a serious voice.

They got into the car and the entire road home, Lancer stood still as a rock. Looking like a child who would get scold. She sighted and hugged Diarmuid pulling him towards her. The servant did not struggle but left his weight on her shoulder. Luckily her aunt didn't speak much and what ever she asked Elwing could answer in short sentences. The ride home seemed forever but the girl was grateful in a way.

When they reached the apartment building, Diarmuid got out the car and went and opened his master's door, took all the weapons and also extended a hand to help her out of the car.

After a quick exchange of pleasantries between the girl and her aunt they walked towards the building. She looked at Diarmuid, even though the servant declared himself drunk, he was walking straighter than ever. She giggled since she would do the same thing when drunk. He opened the door for her each time and she was enjoying it too much to make him stop.

Inside the apartment she announced that she will take a bath and went to prepare. When she exited, she found Lancer in the same place at the entrance. She sighted again and went and took the weapons from his hands. She threw hers somewhere on the armchair and carefully arranged his spears next to the bed.

"If you don't feel well go to bed" she managed to tell him as he followed her into the room.

He's cloths which were stained with a little blood changed into his armor as he laid down on the bed. The girl smiled and went to take her bath. She emerged 2 hours later stretching with a towel wrapped around her long hair. She went to see how Lancer was doing and found him sleeping like a babe on the bed. She unbuckled his epaulette, but did not dare to go further. It was only 8 pm but she was tired and her foot had a massive bruise. So she went to bed next to Lancer. In the some point at night she could feel Diarmuid's arms wrapping around her, she did not fight it, she actually welcomed it, but his actions went no further and she was somewhat relieved going back to her sleep.

Day 4

Light crept slowly through the window as Elwing opened her eyes. She was still caught in Lancer's warm embrace and she couldn't help but smile. She wanted to get up, but in the same time she felt so safe there that she decided to sleep a while longer.

Diarmuid opened his eyes to find his master sleeping in his arms with a content smile on her face. The first reaction he had was the same as his master the day before _"Ow boy!"_ he thought. She came closer to him and he could feel her breasts against his own chest. He was a knight but he was also a man. Confused and alarmed he sat there until Elwing slowly opened her eyes which happened quite fast. She looked up at him and started blushing. She had hoped to wake up again before him seeing he had drunk himself into a coma the day before. She felt her temperature rising and looked confused at him.

"A-ha-ha-heeeeeee" she ended up muttering as she released herself from Diarmuid's embrace.

She got up and out of the bed slowly and when her feet touched the floor she ran to the bathroom with an "Excuse me!" squeaked before closing the door. All the time she washed herself she was yelling to herself "_Moron, idiot. I'm going to have to trade mark those"_ she thought as she repeated the insults over and over again "_now what do I do? I'm such a leecher_" she continued thinking "_but he hugged me'_ she tried to reason "_and he was drunk and you made yourself all cozy, cozy in his arms_" came the counter argument all the while she was pacing in the small bathroom with her toothbrush in her mouth "_I'm a damned leech_" came the sad realization "_now what? I should apologize and make it up to him. Dinner, yes dinner! Maaaaan! That sounds even more of a leech! Lunch, yes that's it! I don't usually eat breakfast so lunch it is. Chinese! I'll cook Chinese!"_ and with that final thought she existed the bathroom triumphant only to see Diarmuid at his usual place.

"I'm sorry" she squeaked "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I should have woken up before you and I'm sorry" she ended up saying and went past him into her room.

Lancer again was perplexed. He was the one with his arms wrapped around her, why was she apologizing?! She opened her computer and started her epic playlist. She took her clothes and changed into the bathroom, while Diarmuid still sat confused next to the wall. After that she started checking the cupboards making a note. She got her coat and wanted to exit when Lancer grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Where are you going master?"

"Shopping…be back in 15 min"

"I should go with you"

"I'll be gone 2 minutes, the shops I need are just across the street" she said and broke free.

She exited the apartment and started down the stairs. Diarmuid could hear her steps like drums. Once they ceased he made himself immaterial and followed her. He saw her buying vegetables and meat and talking to the merchants. 20 minutes later she was back with some bags and smiling content. Lancer materialized inside her room before she could open the door. He couldn't understand, they were in the middle of war and this woman was going around her normal business, wasn't she scared at all?!

"I'm back!" she chanted as she entered the apartment.

"Master, we need to talk" Diarmuid's voice was serious.

"After dinner or at dinner or better now" she said, her voice getting lower and lower until it was a whisper.

"I do not wish for you to get hurt in this war. You need to be more careful. Going out alone isn't good. I cannot protect you if you are away from me"

"Oh!" she was so relieved "Ah! Don't worry about that. I am paranoid enough for the both of us"

"What do you mean?"

"I am scared, don't worry, I'm basically pissing my pants here. Just that I won't let that ruin my life. I live in fear each day. If I die, there won't be a problem, you on the other hand are my problem"

"I do not understand"

"I don't want you to get hurt" she said serious

"Me?!" he couldn't stop himself anymore "I'm supposed to protect you not the other way around! I am expandable master. After this war is done I cease to exist again."

"Then enjoy yourself while it lasts" came her reply

"I do not understand you master. Do you really seek death?"

"In a sense…"

"Do you want me to put you out of your misery?" he asked getting angry

"No! Not you. I would love it if you would kill me, but no. I won't put that on your shoulders."

"How can you be so conceit? I saw that before but could not believe it."

"What do you mean?"

"You feel you can take a servant on, you actually felt you could defeat me yesterday even though you probably told yourself you couldn't, same with that man in the alley. You felt you would be a hero if you could stop him, even though every though you told yourself that you would die. It should be the other way around master!"

"It is the other way around Lancer" came her response as she started to open the door to the kitchen "or maybe not" she said as she started cleaning the kitchen "and what's wrong with being conceit? In the end I am supposed to be the hero of my own story!"

"I do not understand"

"This world begins and ends with me. What happens after I die it's none of my concern"

"And what of the people who would mourn you, the ones who leave behind"

"HA!" came her reply looking at the ceiling "who would mourn my passing, Lancer?"

"Your family! Your friends!"

"Let's be honest now, my family sees me as a screw up. My friends, well I have none to which I can be this honest" She continued as she took the groceries and started washing them and preparing "I don't know, maybe I want you to mourn my passing! I really don't know and I don't like talking about it" she said sad "In the end why does it matter if someone mourns, I'm dead. And dead is dead, its nothingness. It's the only thing that has finality to it, quite poetic actually!"

"Then why do you live?"

"I don't know. I enjoy what I can because they all fade away. Right now I wanted to enjoy cooking lunch which should become dinner at the pace I am going. I wanted to see if you would appreciate my cooking or not. Others said they liked it, but meh!"

"Why would I appreciate something if later you would see it as meh?" Lancer said getting quite close to his own boiling point.

"Because if you appreciate it, for the next few days it won't be meh, but it will become a meh as time will corrode it."

"You are indeed quite the poet"

"I guess it's the only thing I am good at or at least mediocre"

Lancer started to control his breathing and calmed down. He could not understand this master, this woman, but he did have to admit that he was somewhat drawn to her, to that living in the present ideal. He pushed aside the bags that were on the chair and sat on it. He looked at the woman in front of him from head to toe. She was indeed small, bulky built. Her long light brown hair and two locks of gold in it, he concluded that they were died. She wore a pair of glasses that hid her green eyes. Now that he looked, she had beautiful eyes, and freckles. She had her own sense of beauty that attracted him somewhat. She would have made a nice inn keeper's wife with her homey attitude. And probably quite a good lover he found himself thinking. With her build she could most likely produce healthy children. But times were different now, she was what 23-24. At that age women in his time had already at least 5 children. While she was alone, living in an apartment, teaching other people's children.

"What?" Elwing said waving a huge knife around.

"Nothing master. I was lost in thought"

"About…aaa…never mind …not my business" she replied

"About you!"

"Me?! Yea right, and pigs fly!" she said cutting him off.

"_Unbelievable!_" he thought, after all that they talked she went from being depressed to waving a knife and rolling her eyes. What was with this woman, how could she amaze him so. He didn't know if he wanted to kill her or hug her.

She continued cutting the vegetables, the meat and moving around the kitchen. When he finally decided to just leave things there, he had realized that she was doing all the work herself.

"How may I assist you, master?"

"By sitting down. I don't like people helping in the kitchen unless I am cooking for a horde" she smiled at him "and trust me, my 3 friends can count themselves as a horde."

He continued sitting between the table and the fridge looking at how she handled the huge knife. She was sure in her movements but careless, almost cutting herself a few times.

"By the way Lancer, tonight I have Kendo practice. Would you like to come or should I just leave it and sit at home?"

"What exactly is this kendo you keep mentioning?" he looked at her trying to ignore the fact that she just asked for his opinion.

"Sword fight, more or less. More like Sword Art, but it's good for my health, so I don't know if I should go or not"

"You said you wouldn't change your lifestyle!"

"I did! But I want to know your opinion"

"If it will help you then, by all means. I will be by your side and make sure…"

Lancer was interrupted by the bell. Elwing jumped to open the door and as she did Diarmuid jumped in front of her and pushed her aside.

"I see your servant has more mind than you" a deep voice responded.

Diarmuid already had his spears in hand and stood ready, waiting for her signal. She got up, frowned and looked at the man at the front door.

Judging from the cap alone, on her front door, a priest sat. "_Great" _she thought_, inquisition now"_.

"Ow me, the heretic!" she said amused

"I see you are taking this as a jest" he replied, his voice showing no sign of amusement.

"Sorry Father, I am a convinced atheist. Church doctrines leave me with a bad aftertaste."

"I am not here to talk about your beliefs; I am here to talk about your status as one of the 7 masters."

"Ow, why the hell not! Come in!" she said clearly amused.

Diarmuid looked at her bewildered, but did not dare contradict his master. Elwing waved a hand and invited the priest to her kitchen.

"I'm cooking, got a schedule to keep, so you will talk to me in the kitchen if you don't mind. Actually I don't care if you mind. Take a seat where you can find one" she announced casually.

"The Holy Grail War is quite an important event, Miss Yasha"

"Call me Elwing, makes things easier" she replied waving her huge knife around.

"Very well" the priest began "you have been chosen as one of the 7 master, you posses the Command Spells and you have your servant materialized" he said looking at Diarmuid who was sitting in the kitchen door with his spears in hand. The servant had a terrible look to him.

"Yes, yes. Lancer already told me. Tell me something I don't know. For example, why did Christ's drinking cup decided to appear in Galati and why was I, an atheist chosen. Or you people now practice diversity as well?"

"This Grail is not the cup that out Lord and Savior drank from. It is a powerful artifact created by mages. It was just too powerful for the Church to ignore and thus we were called in as referees if you will. This should have been common knowledge to you"

"I didn't get the memo" she replied annoyed "and let me guess. You people don't practice inquisition now and also have a mage inside this hell game"

"We do have Inquisitors indeed and yes someone from the Church was chosen"

"How sweet" she replied letting out an evil laughter "So why are you here again?"

"I came to tell you that the Great Cathedral has been chosen as a sanctuary. If your servant is defeated you may come to us there and you will be protected."

"Yea…no thanks…I rather take my chances with rabid mages"

"So you wish to participate in this war?"

"More or less."

"And what might your wish be?"

"To win! That's what we decided" she said and looked at Lancer who was smiling, more like a hell grin

"You would risk your life for something so foolish?"

"Yea, Yea. Let me guess, the Church wants to offer me a deal of how to keep power in your inner circle or keep more people dumbed down by religion, control over the masses, that's the expression. Which one is it?"

"I have no such offer. You are insane to think something like this"

"Yea, Yea!"

"Do you not fear God at all"

"Fear, no. But if he is real and I get my hands on him, I'll make sure to slap him"

"That's sacrilege"

"You're telling me?! My life is all his fault, if he exists that is, if not it's mine and I'm a screw up. Take your pick, priest!"

"I will consult my superiors. The offer for sanctuary is still open. God does not discriminate and neither do we. May God show you the path to…"

"Victory!" she chanted "Do you want to stay for lunch?" she asked

"I thank you for the offer, I'm afraid not, I still have one more house call" he said. "You young mages have no respect for your elders"

He sat up and started walking towards the door, but Lancer thrust his spear in front making him stop as he was about to pass Elwing's back.

"Wha…what are you doing? I am a neutral party"

"Don't worry he won't kill, but he can hurt you. 2 questions priest. How did you find me and how many of us have their servants?"

"It was hard to find you, if your Servant did not dematerialize this morning I could not have tracked you. You have no barriers, no active flow of magic. I don't even know if you are truly a mage" he said, seeing how the girl puffed, he quickly added "but rest assured, our summoner will not be informed. You are safe, hiding in plain sight, is a good strategy." Seeing how she was unimpressed, but her features hardened he continued "There are 4 of you at the moment, with one servant summoned even yesterday. I will let you know when all 7 are summoned and the war begins"

"We can fight even before that, can we not?"

"Yes, but make sure you do not leave any witnesses. Those are the rules"

"And what happens if we leave witnesses? And yes I know I said two questions, think of it as a 2 parts of a question"

"Nothing will happen, but it is your duty to clean up your mess if you have a witness."

"Will you or will you not kill the witness?"

"It depends"

"On what?" she yelled and hit the table with her knife "I am not in the mood for games. Answer the bloody question or I gut you myself"

"The church will interfere only if the witness posses a threat to it. Otherwise it's the Clock Tower's business. After all it's their motto that everything is permitted as long as it's secret" the priest ended in disgust

"You don't like mages very much, do you?!" the girl said calming down "I can understand why! Lancer, let him leave."

Diarmuid lowered his spears and went to the side. The priest opened the front door and left. She could hear his hurried paces down the steps. When she couldn't hear them anymore she turned to her servant.

"We're you really going to kill him?"

"We're you master?" he answered in a playful tone

"I hate you sometimes" she said answering his provocation "how did you know I had questions for the priest?"

"Master, if you didn't ask I would. We do need information if we are to win this war."

"You are not angry that I just put the whole Inquisition on our asses and the Church's dog as well?"

"We had to start somewhere!" the servant answered, almost laughing.

"We are so screwed on so many levels" she told him "normally we should move to some other place. But Diarmuid, I am poor and broke and the only other place we could use would be outside town and I can't involve my family in this. I am open to suggestions"

"Do you wish to fight them head on?"

"I am not a good strategist as I said. So head on is my only option. You on the other hand are a knight from an era long ago who killed armies. Experience has me beaten every time. So?"

"Even if we move master, we cannot create barriers, neither can we lay traps, no mage in his right mind would attack us here with so many witnesses. I think it's safe here!"

"I hope the priest thinks we moved on"

"That is a possibility!" he added.

"Yea, not gonna happen. If the church has a dog in the fight that means that everything we just talked to the priest will reach that guy's ears. I don't mean to be paranoid which I am at this moment. We're going to be under attack either by their Inquisition or their dog!"

"What are your orders, master?"

"Well we decided to wait and be boxed in. I say we continue as we are now. Go to practice, maybe we're lucky and he makes a house call when we're not home and tomorrow, or right after we eat we go check every little side road, to make sure we know where we are and to make certain check points. Also Lancer I haven't forgotten what the priest said. Dematerialized? You can do that?"

"Yes. That way I can be by your side at all times without consuming mana"

"But apparently it creates a surge that someone can detect"

"That is correct"

"And another thing, this mana, after that night I felt like a train hit me, I usually feel like a train just hit me but why aren't I feeling the same"

"You have lots of mana, master. I do not know how, but normally, the next day after the summon you shouldn't even be able to move. Yet you did and you have been supplying me with mana this whole time."

"Well at least that's what I am good for, a pouch of life force for my servant the vampire!"

"I am no vampire, master"

"Honey, with your good looks and that curse, all you're missing are the fangs" she laughed

She finished cooking and set up the table. It had been such a long time since she ate in the kitchen. She always took her meals in her room watching a movie or doing something. Lancer did not seem to keen on the vegetables in his plate but took a bite.

"This is so good, master" he said starting to eat more rapidly "pardon me, but do we not eat with bread?'

"Chinese don't necessary have bread from what I know. They usually have rice with their meals. But I don't like rice, plus what I cook , I call Chinese but I am not so sure what it is since it's a mixture of everything" she said smiling

"This is wonderful. I have never tasted anything like this. You need to teach me" he said gulping down wholeheartedly.

"Well until this sensation fades, all I can say is that this has been the highlight of my life" she said returning to the discussion they had before and smiling uncontrollable.

"One day I will understand you master"

"He he. I'm a walking paradox. And I am proud of it" she told him "_Nothing like the thread of imminent death to unite our spirits_" she thought.

After they finished, Lancer insisted on washing the dishes so she went to her computer. She looked out the window and thought to herself "_Yea, I should stay away from the windows. A well placed sniper or Archer and I am out of the game_" she thought remembering how her friends always laughed at the idea of guns in mage fights. She wasn't so sure about that now. She wasn't a mage but she knew how to use technology. "_What need would you have for guns when you can summon a huge fireball, but then again I don't know exactly how magic works and Lancer isn't much help sine he he a fighter class_" she thought. She looked at the layout of her room again. Then she sighted and opened her game. It might as well be the last time she did so.

Diarmuid soon came and sat behind her. He seemed more relaxed than usual, maybe he liked threatening priests. "_Eh, to each his own_" she said in her head.

"Master, what exactly are you doing?" he asked her after a while.

"It's a video game, a mmo. I am this character that moves around and I play in this world with its rules. I am a hero here, I can go slay dragons, fight off armies …more or less…or conquer things for my world. Let's see if we can find a dragon that's home" she said and teleported her character. Luckily the dragon just spawned and she managed to show her servant how to die gallantly, rise again and die some more. But she destroyed the evil dragon. "And that's how you slay the dragon" she said in the end smiling.

"So you control that little woman on the screen there with the buttons that are on this black board, like at the phone"

"Yes! Pretty much! You see those characters, running around. Those are real people as well. Like me, they sit behind a screen and control their little minion"

"So in that world you are a hero and here you are just a girl. Is that how you see your situation?"

"Pretty much! Depressing…I know"

"No! It is not. At least I still do not understand the full requirements of this world"

"Eh! I would have loved to live in your time"

"You would?" he asked amazed

"Yes for different reasons and different versions of your time as well."

"I do not understand!"

"Well we as a culture have different understanding of your time. We can see the romantic versions where you would find a prince and get married or you can see yourself like the nice country-side woman being sold for a pig. Live in terror of your husband and such. Or there's my favorite, you can imagine dragons, and wars and fighting along side heroes like you."

"I see…And which do you prefer?"

"The dragon thingy one, of course! But this implies me having god like powers and putting everyone under my heel" she said smiling "but then again I know that the pig farmer one is more likely. And then again I see nothing to lose in imagining a universe under my command?!" since her servant did not reply she added "feel free to use my computer as you wish the icon with the red is a browser you can use. It gets you straight to a site where you can search anything. Write something in the white space and some words will appear. What is blue, you can click on it and it will take you the information shown"

She got up and left Lancer to ponder while she started packing for her kendo practice. She thought of how much information he had to learn about the new century. She always thought things were easier in the dark ages than now.

When she finished she went to look at what Lancer was browsing and to her astonishment he was reading about vampires. She put her hand over her face and snickered. _"Pride_" she thought "_I'm not the only one apparently_". She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned around.

"Master?!" he said getting up

"Neah! Finish your reading. This time I am sitting behind you" she said and left her body fall on the armchair.

After Diarmuid was done, they left for her practice. They reached the place where they first took a vehicle home. And Lancer was looking anxious at her. He was wearing his hitman costume and was carrying her bags. Even though they argued about that at home, she did not like to let him carry her weight, but he had insisted. As he followed her through the street he saw that they were moving in the opposite direction. Elwing was quite anxious herself and he couldn't figure why.

"Something wrong, master?"

"I am scared. I wanna go home. Can I skip practice?" she whined

"If you wish"

"You're supposed to drag me to practice or at least tell me it's going to be fine"

"It's going to be fine, master"

"Not now. And don't call me master when we're outside."

"Yes, Elwing!"

"May I ask why do you need reassurance?"

"Because there are kids there, and I suck at kendo. It's like going to piano class all over again. I get the urge to run away"

"You would go against dragons, fight in the Grail War, but you are scared of some children?"

"YES! And they're teenagers, much worst!"

Lancer didn't seem to understand the joke so shut up and kept walking. They entered the courtyard of a school and went around back. No one was there and she showed Lancer where to leave her weapons. She took out her bokkens, just in case. 5 minutes passed and no one showed, then 10, then 15 and then her Sensei showed himself. As soon as Lancer saw his shadow he brought forth Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe. But Elwing stopped him.

"He's no threat, it's sensei, my teacher" she told him.

But it was too late to hide the spears. Her teacher came to them with his bike and greeted them.

"How are you tonight?" he asked Elwing

"Good" she replied "_still breathing_" she thought

"That's good" he responded while opening the doors.

The building in which they entered wasn't much. It had one more floor and inside Lancer saw a small hallway with 2 bathrooms and a large room. Wood covered the floor and the walls seemed freshly painted. On the far side there stood something resembling a staircase.

"Lancer!" she heard her call "take a seat and please wait. Everyone needs to come and change before we start so I will be a while in that room."

"Your friend wants to start also?"

"I never asked. He just came with me to keep me company"

"I thought he wanted to try kendo since he brought those spears."

"Those are a work in progress" she lied without remorse.

"I see. They look real enough"

"Yea! He's good!" she replied and walked into the changing room. She wanted to scream that they are real and that he is Diarmuid ua Duibhne, her servant. She wanted so badly to be a show off.

The room slowly filled with 3 other females, a 10 year old kid and 2 other older ladies. Outside she could hear the boys chatting sporadically. She tried to concentrate on what will happen during training but her mind started to wonder at the fact that she had an epic hero watching over her and that made things worst since she felt so clumsy.

Once the boys finished changing she went to Lancer who has almost hugging his spears and took out one of her bokken. She tried to smile at him, her hands were already shaking. Lancer looked closely at his master who now was wearing an aquamarine hakama. The folds of it made her look even smaller, but so much more feminine. He looked down at her feet and saw that even her finger nails were nicely trimmed and painted blue. He then looked up at her as she asked.

"Is there a mage between them?"

"No!" he replied firmly

She sighed relieved and put her bokken down and took up her trusty cloth. The training began as always with them cleaning the hall. All students were on all fours each with a wet or dry cloth running back and forth the hall chatting.

Next came the row call, as someone called out a word they went into a row, sat one after the other in a certain position then straightened their backs and began breathing loudly, which Lancer found quite odd. After that they bowed to their teacher and to each other. Lancer noted that while the others bowed deeply, his master only bowed a quarter of the way. Next came the warm up and as they started chanting the Japanese numbers from 1 to 10 , each number having a certain move. He could hear her serious voice, to him she was almost singing. When the students started what her teacher called the pyramid, she went to the middle and took a low position as if hugging something with her bokken on her wrists. Meanwhile the other students did push ups and other moves. From time to time she straightened herself and moved left right on each foot only to sit back in an even lower position.

When all was done she took her place back in the circle and meditated again, calming herself. He could feel her controlled breathing, trying not to think but count 1-2, 1-2-3-4. It was like a clock. After that she was paired with a blond person and started working on what her teacher called a Kata. It all seemed odd to Lancer, even more when everyone started yelling different commands. His master took her place and started with the first exercises. Her face was as red as a tomato. And she kept moving her hands on her bokken. They did what Lancer could only think of as a greeting ritual. With the girl's partner yelling the commands. In the end they met at the middle and they took their stances. Her stance was nothing like the day before. This was a one sword style, not two as he saw her use. He looked at the rest. All of them were using one sword. Two of the students were paired with what seemed spears made of wood against their swords. He looked at them moving about. To him it was a silly dance "_That would never work on me, no matter the speed_" he thought but watched them carefully thinking that no matter how strange the move it may save his life one day. When the exercise repeated itself he looked at his master. She was shaking her head as her partner was telling her, that she should yell.

"…What's with the squeaking" he said annoyed "Yell, go MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN" he yelled the last word to demonstrate.

"Ha!" came her fainted response.

The two took their stances with their swords touching each other. The boy moved his sword to his side. She raised her bokken and moved in mimicking a head blow while squeaking "Meeen"

"For the last time. Scream or do 10 squats" her partner said.

She took her bokken in her hands and did 10 squats without complaining.

"Can you let it pass today. I can't scream."  
"Yes you can. You did it before."

"Excuse me then, be right back" she told him and went to Lancer "is there any way I can convince you to outside the room so I can practice'

"I am sorry master, but no. I will be sitting here, guarding you. You should return, your partner is getting impatient"

"I hate you sometimes" she replied at the demonic smile he had on his face.

She went back to her partner and they took their places again. She sighted as her partner offered himself as her punching bag. In the end she left her pride aside and gave a long _MEN_ with only her voice raised. Her partner seemed pleased and Lancer's smile widened, making her wish she could throw her bokken at his head. She continued the exercises, stumbling through the complex ones and reaching the end of the exercises. They changed to short sticks making a grabbing exercise for their reflexes. Diarmuid watched her moves and concluded that given the training she could be quite good. After that came a game he found interesting. They had to mimic holding a blade and kill the person between them when he was chosen. At the end they went back into formation and through the ritual of bowing, again his master making short bows. The others started saying something weird and shaking hands. His master on the other hand, went straight for him.

"I survived" she said uncomfortable "can I ask you to put this back while I change"

"Of course" he replied and started arranging her weaponry in their respective places.

She saw that her master was stopped half way and bowed to and again the strange words. She bowed back and said only one word. The she disappeared in the room where the girls were changing. He sat down and waited for her to appear. One of the boys broke from the group and came to him.

"Are those real or something?" he asked

"They are real!"

"Can I touch them" he said and reached for Gae Dearg but as soon as he reached the red long spear at its head he got cut "wow they're sharp"

"Yes, they are" came Lancer's reply.

"Cool. So you know how to use them? Do you do some kind of style. I've never seen two spears before" he said intrigued

"I do know how to use them. I am a Lancer"

"Cool!" the boy replied "so what exactly…"

"Lancer!" came Elwing's voice as she ran to him and saw the boy who had his finger in his mouth. The girl's eyes widened "which one?" she asked and seeing Diarmuid become uncomfortable she added "red or yellow"

"Red"

"Pfew!" she said clearly relieved and turned to the boy "Suck it up, it will pass until you get married" and then back to her servant "Let's go outside!"

He nodded and followed taking all her bags again. And by bags she had a backpack with her hakama and a 20 cm wide bag resembling more a sack in which she kept her weapons.

He moved Gae Buidhe in his right hand and held the weapon bag with his left. He put the second bag on his shoulder and followed his master outside.

"Is there no way I can convince you to give me back my bags?"

"None, Elwing! If we are attacked you have a better chance of surviving without extra baggage"

"Show off!" she growled

"I am not showing off. It's to ensure your escape"

"You know I will fight, no matter how you turn it"

"I am afraid of that"

"I am so tired, I deserve a juice. You do too!" she smiled at him "Do we go home by foot or by car?"

"Car. As you said there are smaller chances to get attacked while having witnesses. If we walk through town there are higher chances of a fated meeting"

"Fated meeting?!" she said looking at him as if he ate something old "there is no such thing as fate."

"You believe that?"

"If I don't then will feel powerless. And I don't like that. I hold the reigns of my life. I am the hero of my story and I slay dragons in mmos" she continued smiling at him

People started coming out behind them and as soon as everyone was out they started walking towards the exit. Everyone was chatting happy except Diarmuid and Elwing.

Outside the group split into 3, those who went opposite of them, those who had cars and those who had to walk to the bus station. Between that group stood 2 boys, the sensei and the small master and her servant.

"So how's Rumyel" the sensei asked

"He's fine, at home most likely" she replied

"He isn't coming back?"

"No, he said he wants something more …brutal…mma or kick boxing or boxing. He does prefer boxing, the gentlemen's sport" she smiled

"Well, you know how it is, we're human so we have different interests" her sensei replied and then turned at talked to the other two boys.

They reached the bus stop and took the first vehicle, squeezing in with the weapons. Elwing had the smallest baggage, Diarmuid saw. The other two had a huge bag where he saw some kind of armor.

"Elwing, I have some questions"

"Shoot" she answered raising her shoulders

"When you were chanting at the beginning you were counting in some foreign language?"

"It's Japanese. And yes, we were counting, when we did the kata we were screaming the body part that we were hitting. Men means head, Kote means wrist, Do means waist and Tsuki means neck. And at the end we thanked each other."

"While such screams are necessary to intimidate, I do hope you will make them more convincing" he added

"Do you see me painting a target on my chest? I am surely not going to run in there screaming Men. Anyway, anything else you want to ask?"

"Yes, what was that when you sat with your hands together and breathing loudly?"

"Ah, meditation. It's to calm your body through breathing; you're supposed to empty your mind and such"

"Does it work?"

"Not on me! I'm still erratic no mater what I do!"

They got off at their stop and started walking home. Elwing stopped at a store and bought 2 cans of juice and they stopped again on the bench outside her apartment building.

"I don't want to go inside just yet. It's so warm for this time of the year" she said closing her eyes. For a minute she felt as if she hit something and shifted in her spot. "I dunno why but, let's go up"

Lancer nodded and they started walking towards the building. Once inside her apartment, Diarmuid opened Elwing's weapon bag and took out her bow which was already with his string attached.

"There's a familiar outside. Should I go kill it?"

"I familiar. We're being watched, how sweet!" she said as coldly as possible "How I love being right!" she continued in the same tone.

"Should I go kill it?"

"No, he'll just send another. As long as it can't hear us we should be safe."

"You still need arrows. We should have gone after some wood" he said and took out the wooden boards that were under her bed "none of these are good for arrow and it seems a dog chewed on them"

"Shade!" she told him "I don't have the money to buy new arrows, and even if I did. It will take them a few weeks to get here." She continued

"I can make them!"

"With what wood?"

"Is there a forest around here? Bigger than the one at your parent's house?"

"Yes, it's over a bridge. We used to go for archery near there."

"Good. We'll go tomorrow"

She nodded. Her muscles ached and she went to take a bath. When she returned, she saw Lancer sitting as still as stone. She passed him and opened her can of juice. He sat there pondering for quite a while. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Elwing and sighted

"What?" she asked annoyed.

"Nothing!" he replied "I will guard you tonight, so try to get some rest, master"

"You are sleeping next to me. Don't be an idiot! You need to rest as well."

"As long as you supply me with mana, I do not need to sleep"

"Like you don't need to eat either, right?! Cut the crap! You sleep first and I will sleep in like 6 hours."

"Master, he objected"

"Ow…and another thing. If you are hungry, thirsty or whatever, help yourself. Now go to bed. I don't know how much good I will be at guarding, but I promise I will do my best" she said bumping her fists together "sooo, 6 hours mmo marathon starts now" she said and ignored Lancer.

It was easier said than done since she was used to sleep from 11 pm to 10-11 am the next day. By 3 am she was already yawning uncontrollable. _"2 more hours to go"_ she thought. She had her music set at minimum so she would not fall asleep. She turned from time to time to look at Lancer who was sleeping with his spears right next to him. At least she hoped he was sleeping. He was back in his emerald armor and now that she looked at it, the flame pattern that he had on his high boots was also on the detached sleeve he had on his right hand. His left held a hand guard that extended to his fingers. She looked at how he was breathing and concluded he was sleeping. No matter how she looked at it, he was a beautiful man. She took her headphones off and stretched. She looked at the window but the heavy silk drapes that she had did not allow for much to be seen. She thought again at the idea of a sniper and a mage. She opened the game she just closed and went to look at her elementalist again. She tried every element that her mage had just to see the effects. How she whished she had the power to wield such forces of nature. She began playing again and put her headphones back on. The 6 hours came and went, but she could not bring herself to wake Lancer up.

Day 5

And thus day 5 began. As the sun was rising she went to the kitchen and made herself a cappuccino. "This should keep me awake!"

"Master! ELWING!" came Lancer's cries

"What?" she yelled coming in the room with her mug, almost spilling its content.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, although I almost burned myself with the drink. Want one?" she asked and then continued ignoring Lancer's perplex expression "of course you do!"

She went to the kitchen and made another, only this one she decorated with whipped cream and her last biscuits with vanilla cream which she kept for a special occasion. She looked at the biscuits and sighted. It was worth it she told herself. And entered the room and put the drink and biscuits on her desk then went back to get her own mug. She returned and sat at her pc, looking up some new episode from a series she was watching.

Lancer got out of bed and sat next to her on the chair she usually kept for the students she had. He looked curiously at her and then at what was on the desk.

"That one is yours, you know. It's called a cappuccino, it's supposed to keep you somewhat awake. Normally people drink coffee in the morning which is stronger than this, but I don't like coffee so I go for something sweeter and has the same effect and I swear it's not poisoned" she explained

He did not reply and took a sip. He nodded and proceeded to follow his master's example, drinking the hot beverage slowly. He took up a biscuit which had a smiling face on it and ate it. After they were done with what seemed to be a ritual for Elwing. He looked at her once again.

"You did not wake me, master" she said almost hurt

"Yea! Well you need the sleep more than I do. In the end if I jump into the fray I will get you killed. It's hard for me to admit but, I am no good to you on a battlefield. But even so…could I ask that you take me along? Maybe there will be something I can do. I don't know what, but… I really want to go. I will try to stay hidden if that's better for you"

"Master…"was all Diarmuid could muster to say. The woman managed once again to baffle him. It was their 5th day together, and each day this woman managed to bring something new. He started to enjoy her company even more when she seemed getting more comfortable around him. In his eyes she was quite a smart person, still prideful, but she knew a lot. Much more than the women he had met. It took her a while to grasp the situation but she did understand and for him it was enough. He looked at her and smiled warmly" you can come with me. But you will need to do as I say!"

"I understand and I will try" she said

Lancer did not seem to grasp the word she intentionally put in there**, try**. She promised herself as she played the night before, thinking of strategies, that she will follow Lancer's lead. Although she also knew that was impossible with her temper, she promised she would **try**. As she continued her episode, she explained to Lancer what they were watching and what an anime was. After she was done she went and changed and left with Lancer for the forest.

They changed between two vehicles and arrived in what seemed to be a village. They passed an old train station and continued following the tracks. Elwing asked her servant questions about his knowledge of trains and filled in the gaps. She was lucky because one train passed them and she had an example to show as well. After they left the houses behind she showed him where they used to practice archery and Lancer even found an old arrow. It was one of hers that she lost the year before. All that remained were the rough feathers and half of the shaft. A cow must have stepped on it she concluded, but took it with her.

They reached a bridge that was designed for trains, but also had a pathway for humans. Unfortunately the pathway broke half way. She looked behind her and then in front and at the murky water. "_I am fucked on so many levels_" she thought and smiled. She started by taking the first step on the first metal plate and then another step and another. She was moving so slowly, but Lancer did not complain. She was so embarrassed and scared she didn't dare turn to look at him. After a few more plates she looked down and saw the running water, it looked so dirty _"Death by drowning isn't quite my cup of tea_" she thought "_and what if the water isn't deep enough, then I will just break something. God damn it!"_ she continued in her head. They reached a point where a metal plate was missing and she stopped. "_I should jump, but what if the other plate isn't stable?! Ow fuck me, dead is dead!"_ she cried in her head and jumped. She was fortunate as the plate held her weight "_That's it, I am loosing weight again!"_ she said when she saw she was still alive. She continued on, but when the path again had plates missing, this time 3 of them she couldn't help but say out loud "OW…fucking hells!" and started looking around for another way. She got on the metal rail and started walking keeping her balance. In between the two rails there were some boards but they didn't look safe to her. All she was thinking now was that if she fell, she would die. "_Good thing I have some survival instinct left and here I thought I suppressed it_" she thought smiling and shaking her head which proved to be a bad move since she started leaning left and right. Luckily Lancer was there and he grabbed her by her waist and helped her stabilize her position. "Thank you" she murmured and then to herself "_God fucking damn it woman, do you really want to embarrass yourself further?!_" She finally reached the metal plate and checked it with her left foot, it seemed stable and she stepped on it. There wasn't much left of the bridge and the rest of the way she just concentrated on moving faster. When she reached the end of the bridge she couldn't help herself but jump on the earth, open her hands and say: "Safe!" and smiled.

"Indeed" came Lancer's reply "Is this the forest master? Do you have a certain place that you know here?"

"Yes and no. Yes this is the forest and no. I can't even remember where we were shooting last year. I only came here once" she replied as she led the servant down a pathway.

Before they entered the forest, Diarmuid put one knee in the ground and took some of the sand in his hands. He left it slide through his long fingers and closed his eyes. Like when they were at her parents Elwing got the same sensation of calmness, but this time she tried to resist the urge to close her eyes but could not. The second she closed her eyes she could feel so many things that she stopped breathing for a second. She felt the world spin out of control for a moment and as she opened her eyes she fell on her knees on the wet grass.

Lancer got up and extended a hand to his master. She took it and as he pulled her up she almost fell on the other side. He started leading her by her hand, his firm grip keeping her from stopping. She still felt the world spinning and a sensation of nausea took her. She pulled Lancer to a stop in the end. She shook her head violently and bumped her fists then smiled at her servant.

"This way! I know there was some kind of thingy here!"

The thingy she referred to was some kind of a leftover structure, a corner of a structure to be more exact. She moved around it and examined it.

"What is it master?" Lancer asked

"I haven't got a clue" she replied laughing "I just wanted to see it. Now, where to?"

"You can stay here, we weren't followed and if anyone appears, then they have to cross the bridge. Call my name and I will be back!"

"Ok!"

He then started walking through the forest, faster and faster until he jumped so high that left Elwing speechless. No normal person could jump that high, but then again he wasn't normal, he was a servant. She was looking in the general direction to where Lancer had went but got bored soon and got her headphones out and listened to music. Each end of a melody she looked at the clock. 15 minutes later she took up a stick and tried to exercise her kendo moves. She still felt nausea but at least the world wasn't spinning anymore. She was always sick and since her mother wasn't the most understanding person she learned to hide it. Even now she was trying to ignore the headache that she had and concentrate on exercising while watching the bridge.

Meanwhile Lancer went through the whole forest. As he was running around he saw a deer and some rabbits. Oh, how his heart longed for a hunt, but he had to keep his mind on his task. He found the tree he was looking for and summoned Gae Buidhe. With a short strike the tree feel. He then lifted the tree on his shoulder and started going back. As he was walking he started thinking of the girl that was waiting for him on the other side of the forest. How brave she was crossing the bridge even though she was clearly trembling in fear. He liked the way she acted, especially the smiles she gave him, the way she tilted her hear to show her arrogance. The day before when she threatened the priest she looked so strong, but he knew that she wouldn't dare kill the priest so he had to play his part. They synchronized perfectly and when she asked if he would have killed the man he almost said yes. His chivalrous ways did not allow him to kill innocents, the priest was a liability to her safety, so he would have no choice but to eliminate him, that much he understood. Even so he was relieved when she told him to let the man go. But she did not forget the blunder he did. He was to blame for putting his master in danger and now he must keep her safe at all cost.

As he reached the clearing he saw his master practicing with a stick the movements from her practice from the night before. He stopped to look at how she was moving and couldn't help but smile at her efforts. From the first day he knew she had health problems, the most obvious being her back. As he dematerialized the day before he connected with her, he could feel what she felt and hear her thoughts. There was embarrassment, joy and pain. The pain was the worst of all because it was both physical and mental. He didn't have much time to think about it that day, even as they talked in the kitchen he still didn't quite understand all of it and to make matters worst her idea of time corroding things confused him even more. He still had all his memories, all he had to do was close his eyes and he could see clearly every detail of his life. Today he didn't need to be connected to her to see that she was ill, but she was too stubborn to stop or admit it. Her skin tone was very light to begin with but now it looked as if she was a ghost. She stopped as she noticed him and started blushing.

"When did you get back?"

"Just now!" he answered

"What's next?" she asked

"Where is the safest place in town, with lots of people?" he asked her

"A coffee shop, a park. It's the middle of the day"

"I will take you there and then I will come back and take care of things here"

"Why not with me? I can help!"

"No, no" he said shaking his head "It will not take me long, You need not worry. But we are losing daylight and I will need to work fast" he said understanding that he cannot walk around town with a tree on his shoulder and he continued as he looked at the girl's pale face "I would prefer you at my side but we have no choice. Is there a place where you can keep your bow and hand?"

"Yea…at home."

"No, no master, outside"

"There is no way for me to hide a bow, well the bow maybe, but not the arrows. Plus it would be a dead give-away. It's like putting a sign above my head saying **Weak Master, come and get it,** or **Easy kill, throw a fireball**. But ok, well populated place it is!" she said laughing

He left the tree there, memorizing it's location and started walking back with his master. The girl was walking slower than usual and breathing heavily. When she realized she was falling behind she hastened her pace only to slow down again. As they reached the bridge, Diarmuid turned around and lifted her in his arms.

"What are you doing?" she protested "Put me down, I'm heavy. Put me down, Lancer"

He ignored her wailing and her squirming and when he tightened his grip she stopped. He looked around and made sure no one was there and then with a powerful jump he reached the middle of the bridge and with another he was far past it and with the last one they reached the houses. All Elwing could feel was the sudden rush of wind and she closed her eyes. When she opened them they were near a blue metal fence of a house. She looked up at Lancer who was gazing at her and she couldn't help but look at his face, she lost herself in his eyes. And as his button mouth opened and spoke she still couldn't believe it, she didn't even hear the words, she thought of kissing him, as her hand twitched she started screaming in her head "_ya, ya. ya, ya , ya***. What are you doing? Oi! Have you lost it?!_" That made her snap out of it, she moved her legs and Lancer let her fall on her feet.

***Note – Elwing uses a lot of Japanese words in her speech, especially when saying no or making different sounds – YA- is here a negation.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"I asked if you are all right"

"Peachy!" she replied and started walking to the station.

"_I'm a god damn leecher_" she was thinking "_the poor man has a trauma with women and I wanna kiss him. The hell is wrong with me?!"_ After that she just tried concentrating on walking. Diarmuid was by her side as always and he didn't seem to notice, which made her feel relieved. They got on a buss and reached the town, from there again they changed vehicles and she pointed a certain crossroad to him. It was huge with a round island and a large panel showing some parts that were meant to be the highlights of the town. He had seen that crossroad from her balcony so he knew where they were.

They got off on the next stop and he saw that there were a lot of people. The town was decorated heavily on this side. Merchants were displaying their wares and she turned to him.

"I wanted to surprise you in a way" she said "It's the 30th of November, it's the day that this town celebrates its patron, some saint Andrew. I don't really like this holiday, but from 6 or something they will close the road and people go on walks and make noise. I made reservations at a restaurant for us" she told him as a child with a mask passed them "some people put on extravagant make-up or costumes. There are also parties. There will be so much people, that a large scale attack is impossible" she continued in a sad tone "I also hoped we would finish until that time"

"I can finish in time" he replied

"Really?!" she said and her face lightened up

"But master, why would you go if you don't like it?"

"For you of course. You're in Romania, might as well experience some things" she replied tilting her head "not the best, but it's an experience"

The started walking through the mass of people, both of them could smell meat being roasted, wine being boiled and other delicacies. They past store after store and his master was looking left and right. Sometimes smiling, sometimes sighting, she pressed on. In his eyes she still looked pale, but she seemed in good spirits. He stopped and turned his head for a moment and when he wanted to show his master something he realized she wasn't near him. He stopped and looked around confused. People came and went, but Elwing was nowhere to be found. He started searching for her.

Meanwhile she stopped at a merchant that had jewelry. She looked at silver rings and some earrings. She wanted to buy something for Lancer, but could not find anything suitable. She gave up and looked around. Diarmuid was nowhere to be seen and she panicked. She didn't know what to do. If she stood still, he might find her, but he was alone in a mass of people. She had no way of contacting him, no way of reaching him. She looked at her command spells and thought what if he had left to finish the task he set for today, or what if he was in danger. She didn't have her weapons and even is she did, she didn't know what good could that do since Diarmuid brought a whole tree on his shoulder and could jump all the way to the second floor. These servants were insanely strong and he was a Lancer, there was still a berserker and a rider. She clenched her jaw and started running, where to, she had no idea. She went back to the buss stop, but couldn't see him. He was a mountain of a man in her eyes and she couldn't see him. How many bloody men had a lock of hair on their face, a mole under their left eye and yellow eyes, close to those of a wolf?! He should be easily spotted from kilometers away she thought. She pulled herself to the corner of a small street out of the flow of people and looked as they passed. She already had tears in her eyes.

"Lancer!" she whined

As she stood there she felt a chill up her spine and couldn't stop from trembling violently. It only lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was her body's way of letting her know that something wasn't right. She turned around in a pirouette, but there was nothing there. She stopped and looked at the mass of people again. She felt her head ache again. She raised her hand to her forehead and moved to the right.

"Elwing!" someone cried

She turned around and saw Rumyel holding the hand of his younger bother. He was dressed as always with his black coat and blue jeans. He looked quite attractive in her eyes, with his rectangular glasses and short spiky blond hair. She always found him attractive but also too young. He was 4 years younger than her and she always felt the need to protect him. "_The girl that gets him will be the luckiest person alive_" she thought studying his walking gait.

"Rumyel, I'm screwed!" she bellowed "I lost Diarmuid. He was supposed to be next to me and I lost him!"

"How can you lose a person?" he smiled

"We got separated and I have no idea which way he went" she continued franticly "That's how you lose a person and don't be sarcastic"

"Sorry, I meant how can you lose THAT person?"

"Like you lose any other person. What's your point?"

"Never mind" he answered

"No, no. What's your point?!" she said angry

"I have none, geez, you're reading too much into it" he replied

"Sorry. But I do need to find him"

"Elwing!" came another cry

She turned around to see Diarmuid coming towards her. Her relief was so visible that made him stop. She walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Never do that again," she said scolding him after she let go of her servant "you scared me!"

Lancer wanted to protest but seeing how relieved she was he stopped. Plus he knew better than to argue with a sulking woman.

"Yes, master" he whispered

"Rumyel, what are you up to?" she said ignoring Lancer's use of the word master.

"We finished buying some things for Andrei's name day. It was either that or inviting kids over so mom sent us shopping" he replied smiling "You?"

"Just out for a walk" she said "wanna go grab a beer?" she continued immediately regretting that decision.

"Sure. It's not like we need to be home"

She turned to Lancer to see the color drain from his cheeks. She made a worried face at him but he just nodded. He raised his head and looked in the distance. Something seemed to bother him.

They started walking back the way they were initially going and were searching for a coffee shop. They finally found one that had a table free and Lancer excused himself saying he will be back as soon as possible and left the 3 to their drinks. As always Elwing ordered tea while her friend took a beer and the brother was given juice.

"Isn't he sitting with us?"

"No, he has some thing to do" she said waving her hand "he'll be back later…probably."

"So, how long is he still staying at your place?"

"A week or so"

"I don't remember seeing him in game"

"It was before your time" she replied relieved that Lancer wasn't around. "Anyway…what have you been up to?"

"Same…"

They started talking about what they were planning for that night and then their discussion jumped to games. That's where their discussion always went, games or movies or both. They talked about their Guild and reminisce of another game where they met. Talked about stories, about the book that Elwing was still trying to write and as usually he demolished most of her ideas only to make her angry and to tell him that it wasn't done yet. It got dark outside quickly and she looked at her cell phone's watch. Lancer was running late and she was starting to get worried. Now that silence was between them she realized her head was pounding and her ears were ringing. She shook her head and then leaned it on her left hand looking at the man in front of her. She still saw him as a boy and now he was her hostage, her shield not to get attacked. How low she had fallen.

"We should go" came Rumyel's response to the silence. "It's late and mother will decapitate us"

"Decapitate you. I'm just fine" his brother said proud.

They took the check and each paid his share. She sighted and looked out the window. As usual on this day there were so many people in the street, she thought of her plans for that night. She already lost the reservation at the restaurant she had chosen, but maybe that wasn't a bad thing since she could buy something even more expensive for her servant. She got up and got dressed and left the local with the other 2 boys. Outside the cold air hit her skin and made her shiver. They parted there, the boys going home and she sat outside waiting for her servant.

She was thinking of the clothes she had prepared for that night, the pretty dress and the make-up she dreamed of putting on. Of the nice dinner she was supposed to have with her Servant and be all high and mighty in front of him and watch the fire-works. A walk down by the river would have been also nice. She just wanted an occasion to dress elegantly, all of that day she wanted to dress elegant, but high heels did not have their place when going into the woods. And now it was too late. Again that shiver! She was cold but that shiver wasn't from the cold. She looked around but saw only people. Servants could be in their dematerialized form and their masters were people. She had no idea how to distinguish one from the other. She felt paranoid.

"You shouldn't be walking alone without your servant, miss" came a small girl's voice followed by a giggle "My sis will kill you if she finds you" the voice continued

Elwing turned around violently but she couldn't distinguish between the people. There were too many children, too much noise. The world was spinning again, she wanted to call Lancer but couldn't. Everything told her it was a trap, if she was killed it was ok, but Lancer, if she ran he could be caught into a trap, if she didn't she could be caught and used as bait. Diarmuid was so honorable that he wouldn't hesitate to come to her rescue. She looked frantically left and then right, there was no sign of her servant, no sign of the enemy. If she could only see them, then she could at least try to defend herself until…A hand grabbed her shoulder and she froze. "_It's over!"_ she thought but nonetheless turned around to hit the person behind her. To her surprise it was Diarmuid who caught her hand and was looking at her. She must have had a scared expression because he immediately pulled her to his side.

"What happened master?"

"I…I…" she began shivering "I'm alright" she continued trying to control her breathing, her eyes began to sting as tears filled them "I'm alright!" she repeated.

"We have a problem. I think we have been exposed!" he said "I do not recommend going home this night"

Elwing felt her head heavy, as if ready to fall of her shoulders. She tried to comprehend what Lancer was saying, but that little girl's giggle bothered her. She couldn't understand what her servant was saying. She soon realized that they were at the crossroad. She turned left and entered a park. There weren't many people at the entrance. Mostly lovers and parents with children going towards where the swings were located. She didn't even know when the tears disappeared from her eyes but now they were back and she couldn't stop them. She looked up at the sky and the first tear rolled down her cheek and then another.

"Master?" came Diarmuid's concerned voice

She did not reply. He had a concerned voice, for her. Just for her, or was it that he did not want to disappear. It was war, it was brutal. She thought of blood, she had no problem if it was hers, but another's blood. She thought of how easy it was for her to cut the meat when she was cooking, was it so easy to cut a human as well?! The girl said **her sis**, so her sister was a master. If one fails, the other might take her place, maybe.

She wanted to think of this war in her romantic style, horses and knights and fighting honorable on a battlefield. She was mistaken. This was a war between mages and their familiars, a guerilla war, a war that no one must ever know about. There is no honor in the battlefield, it's just survival instinct, survival of the most athletic or the most cunning. She saw enough movies and read enough books to realize that, it just wasn't real. Her fear from a few moments ago was real. Her worries were real. She started questioning whether she was actually worried about Lancer or she just wanted to survive. Just like that night when she summoned Diarmuid. Did she want to survive? For what? She turned towards Diarmuid.

"I got an order for you" she told him between tears "If I get caught or used as a bargaining chip, kill me. Also if I die, could you please, maybe, bring a flower to my grave or at least think of me, sometime. It doesn't matter how…" she continued and then stopped "God, that was weak! Forget I said anything about thinking and flowers and crap like that. Kill me if you see it's a trap. That's the order!" she concluded and looked down

Before she could force her body to make a step forward he came close to her, turned her around and embraced her. She wanted to struggle but his grip on her was so strong that she just surrendered. She placed her cheek on his coat and tried to hear his heart beat. She couldn't concentrate enough to do so. She freed herself a few seconds later but did not look at Lancer.

"Thank you" she whispered and then she wiped her tears and bumped her fists "so. Let's see if I give my mom reason to kill me or not" she said in a voice that wanted to be optimistic.

She was happy to see that their road home didn't have that many people. This allowed her to concentrate on her problems.

"Apparently there is another master who knows who I am. Or at least her sister does. Another female summoner, but this one is a bit more difficult, I doubt she is in the same situation as me"

"I do not know of her situation, but I went and checked the surroundings to where you were waiting for me. And I was right to do so. On one of the buildings there were signs of battle. One of them was surely an archer since I found remnants of wood and feathers and blood. But I am not so sure if anyone died there!"

"We'll assume it was a small skirmish and that they're both alive" she replied and turned as Diarmuid had stopped "what is it?'

"I think they were targeting you"

"Me? Neah…unless he saw my mark then there is no way for them to know I am a master…unless they saw me with you" she corrected herself "Diarmuid , before you came" she began clearly uncomfortable "there was this little girl who told me that if I don't have you with me her sister would kill me. I don't know if we are talking about the same persons, but it pisses me off. It pisses me off to no end."

"The incidents do seem related!"

"Related or not, let's count that 4 masters know and their servants know who I am, how I look. Fucking hells and fucking gods!" she bursted biting her finger nail "I want them dead, so dead, as dead as can be" she said angry.

"Why four? Isn't that all the masters that have servants at the moment!" he replied ignoring the fact that his master was behaving like a spoiled child including hitting the ground with her foot at the last words.

"Exactly! In these situations it pays to be paranoid" she replied

They walked the rest of the road in silence, each pondering the situation. Elwing was changing from anger to frustration to helplessness in a matter of seconds. She was frustrated that she cried in front of Diarmuid and that he hugged her. He knew exactly what she needed, each time and that made her even angrier because she took a sadistic pride in the fact that she was, as she thought unpredictable. That she was unique in her own way and in the same time like everybody else. "_A wolf in sheep clothing_" she thought of herself. But in the same time she couldn't help but feel as dead weight to her servant. She hated the fact that she froze. A moment like that could mean life or death.

They reached the apartment and Diarmuid went in front of her. Each step of the way he was in front, checking every detail. He was very serious and Elwing didn't dare interrupt him. As they got up to the 4th floor he became even tenser. She could feel the air getting heavier. All this time Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe were in his hands and he changed into his armor the minute he put his foot on the first step leading towards the entrance. Elwing was also in alert, but she knew that did little good. She looked left and right, up and down. There was nothing wrong. She touched the wall but again, nothing.

In front of her apartment, he pressed the door knob with Gae Dearg but nothing happened. So he put Gae Buidhe down and extended his hand towards Elwing. She gave him the keys although she did not like it. And he opened the door. Inside nothing was changed, except that her living room had wooden boards on the floor and the window was open widely.

Diarmuid already checked the house a few times before letting her enter. She looked at the window and rolled her eyes.

"Ask for the keys next time!" she told the servant snickering.

"My apologies!" came his reply

She entered the room and closed the window. She looked at the hanger that had the dress she wanted to wear hidden between her shirts. She turned and saw her jewelry boxes lined up and the make-up kit. She shrugged and went to take a shower. As she did she looked at the small window from her bathroom and remembered she was being watched.

"Lancer?" she asked from the bathroom "are you there?"

"Yes master"

"How many familiars were outside?"

"Just one! The same one"

"What's the familiar like?" she asked realizing that she didn't even know what it was or how it looked.

"The small yellow dog!" he replied

"That explains why I really hate that dog!" she laughed "_Wait a minute, that dog's been here a while. It was here when I still had Shade. What the fuck!_" she thought

Now she was panicking. She knew that the government was watching the population, but she always thought that since she had nothing to hide, they could all kiss her royal ass. But a familiar, that showed up more than 9 months ago. It was unnerving. She didn't have the mark on her hand. And the mark itself appeared exactly when she summoned or a bit before. Even the day of the summoning she couldn't feel any different. She went to meet a friend to give a book back and they parted ways. So in the evening she still didn't have the mark. She decided to take a different route that night, one she thought would be faster. And that got her in that fight with that maniac. He came from behind and tried to grab her hand, but she evaded it and then he pulled out the knife. It was nothing climactic like in the movies. She actually evaded it quite clumsy and almost fell.

Now that she thought of it. There was no cut on her body that night. And that dog. What was with that dog that annoyed her so much. Shade liked to run after dogs in general, but that one. After it first showed its teeth, Shade wanted to kill it badly. It was always hard to stop her from attacking the mutt. Was her black dog trying to protect her somehow? She did not know what to do, should she tell Diarmuid or not. She tried to think harder. The night that she came home with her servant, the dog was nowhere to be seen, or she couldn't see it. Was it missing on purpose or was the dog innocent and it had been replaced with a familiar.

She went out of the bathroom like a hurricane and went straight to the computer. Diarmuid straightened his back against the wall so she had enough space to pass. She sat at the computer and started searching about familiars. Diarmuid came in only to see his master typing furiously so he sat quite on the bed. She found only garbage and databases from games. She was in a frenzy. She started growling some unintelligible words, most likely curses the servant thought.

"Ah! Fuck my life!" she yelled in the end and stretched "tomorrow" she concluded and turned to Lancer "are you going to bed?"

"No master. I believe you should sleep first this time" he replied in a sturdy tone.

"Actually I can still stay awake. Nothing has changed so why bother" she said

Lancer saw the inflexions of her voice. "_She's scared_" he thought "_she is human after all. It's natural to fear death!_" he thought. He saw her shifting her gaze and turning around towards the computer.

"Master, I will protect you. You need to rest, come to bed"

"I'm fine" she said waving her hand.

She hit the search button again and went through some more sites. She was expecting Lancer to take the hint and go to bed. But he chose to be as stubborn as she was. As time went she was yawning more and more frequently. Her search did not bring any new results. All she understood was that familiars were servants with certain powers. Those powers could mean anything, including possession, transformation, anything. Or at least that's how it worked in games. She really wanted to know if anyone had any information that she would be a summoner or whose familiar it was. In the end she decided that it did not matter whose familiar it was, it was just another x in her equation, if that equation meant painting a target. She looked at Lancer, he didn't move from his spot. She on the other hand changed her position on the chair more and more frequent. Bad part was that she took it as a challenge and would not budge. She was going to make Lancer go to bed before her. She could get pretty competitive at times out of the most stupid reasons. She stared at her monitor and opened her game. She put her character to craft something and as she lowered her head on the desk, she fell asleep.

Diarmuid made sure she was asleep and raised her in his arms and got her into bed. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. After he had tucked her in, he sat facing the window, he leaning on his left hand and in his right he had Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe was as usual at his feet. His master moved underneath the covers. Her hand reached his and she muttered something in her sleep. It was passed midnight.

Some time earlier – character spoil (no Character spoil turn to page 60)

"Rumyel, how much farther? We've been following him for hours. Just kill him already!"

"No. He's tracking something. And it's not us. Why waste time and effort when he can do the job just as easy and we pick him off afterwards. How's it going Assassin?" he asked his servant

"He's still unaware of my presence or yours, master. But I still cannot understand what he is tracking. This trail is 3 days old. And with all those people around, I think he won't find anything. His master is too confident, almost as confident as you!"

"What are you talking about. I am just getting my brother his gift! Do your job. Stay on his heels if he makes a wrong move, kill him!"

Rumyel could feel the servant nodding and moved on. He was indeed supposed to buy his brother a gift. It was his mother's way of saying **get out the house and do your job**. He had preferred to stay in his cozy house at the computer and let his servant do the dirty work but his mother was more than annoying if he did so. Just this once promised himself. He didn't like that the servants were so godlike. His hero was actually a character from a game, but he had all his abilities from there. "_If there are enough idiots who believe, it makes it real. Still terribly OP_" he thought "_Let's finish this business and go home, I got a guild event at 10"_. They kept moving back towards the general direction of his house. And a sudden realization came over him.

"He's hunting Elwing!" he said out loud

"Bummer!" came his brother's reply "Guess you won't be marrying her after all."

"You shut up!"

"Master I see her. She's alone. She seems to be looking for something or someone. But she is in the crowd. As long as she is there she should be safe."

"Where's her servant?"

"100 metters away!"

"Is he fucking stupid?! How can he leave her side" he answered realizing he was getting angry "does he not feel Archer's presence?"

"She's out of the crowd. And no he doesn't, Archer has his presence masked like me"

"Kill him Assassin" he gave the order

"Understood"

Still cloaked Assassin went closer in range to use his hidden pistols. As he targeted the skull of his opponent, the other cloaked figure let out a curse and got up as if to re-adjust his position but as soon as he turned he shot the bolt he had loaded at Asassin's head. The servant easily dodged it and responded with a gun shot, he missed as well.

"Nice try!" the figure said proud. He was a tall lean man, dressed in a medieval fashion.

"He looks like Robin Hood" came Rumyel's unbidden thought as he saw Archer through his servant's eyes "no matter" he continued "just kill him"

The two servants were facing each other, high on a 12 story building, they had nothing to worry about. With so much noise and music coming from different places their blows were easily masked. Without any warning, Archer muttered Infinity Quiver and began shooting quarrel after quarrel without having to stop to reload. Assassin dodged every last of the bolts and even broke one with his second pistol. He assessed that his opponent's noble phantasm let him shoot an infinite number of quarrels with only a second and a half reload time. He had already measured the distance and was moving in.

As he used his first hidden blade to stab the opponent he found that Archer stopped it with his knife. He pressed against the man not letting him raise his hand with the crossbow and got his second hidden blade in position for a kill, but his strike found only the air, Archer had vanished.

"Recalled by a command spell" came Rumyel's voice inside the servant's head "you missed"

"Your woman is safe, master" came the servant's ironic reply.

"Cloak yourself and return"

Now knowing where his love interest was, Rumyel proceeded to meet the girl. He called her name and greeted her. Hearing her so desperate over losing her servant in the crowd made him realize just how clueless she really was. He was relieved that she did not see or feel the presence of the servants fighting and that his secret was still…well… a secret.

His mood soured as her servant appeared and felt as if someone hit him in the gut when she ran to him and hugged him. He wanted to kill her then and there, but that servant was a problem and he kept his cool. He hated the way she talked to her servant, so soft and in mother like fashion, the same way she talked to him.

When she asked him to go to a beer he immediately wanted to refuse, but something inside him urged him on and he accepted. He wanted to see if she was under her knight's curse or not. Just for the fun of it. He was somewhat relieved that Lancer had disappeared to do some boring chore. When he asked questions about her servant, Elwing tried to dismiss them in a casual manner, but it only made it look even awkward. She wasn't very good at lying, but now he could see that she was lying through her teeth. She was trying to steer the discussion away from Lancer and he let it slide.

If she was in love with her fairy tale knight than she would return to the subject and praise him for something he did. She never left any chance to brag slip, especially if it was a loved one. She had always cried on his shoulder when she got dumped by her idiot boyfriends. She had a talent to pick them, but she never picked him, always the **better stay friends **speech or **not wanting to lose a friend** speech. Those pissed him off.

He calmed himself when he saw that praising Lancer wasn't on the table and when they shifted to games he started relaxing and by the time they reached her book he was his old self again, showing her the flaws of her judgments.

"I am starting to think you are changing the rules as you go along" he ended up saying

"I am not changing anything. You don't know them all, I do, it's my world, I'm the god there" she replied

"Your 3rd book about Gods, I don't like it, it's like you put them there just to mock everything"

"Bite me! It's not about just Gods. I want to show how useless and bureaucratic they are. But also a way to show the back story" she continued

"I still don't like the idea of Gods"

"Ow…bugger off…it's my world, my rules"

"Meh! I'll just have to read it. But that doesn't mean I will like it"

They ended their discussion there, silence falling over the table. Elwing looked at her cell phone and he had enough for one night. He wanted to leave before he started to feel regret. They got the check, paid and went outside. They said their goodbyes and left.

"Are there any other servants or masters in the area?"

"Archer went to lick his wounds; he's outside town with his master if you want me to finish him off. Rider is with her mistress in their stronghold. Caster is at home with his own master. Saber is with his priest at the cathedral. We are still waiting on Berserker"

"So she will be able to get home alive" he replied smiling

"Why spare her master?"

"She's clueless. I'll just kill her last. That pretty fucker posses no real threat. And she is easy to kill, being a hot head and all. Now, should I put her servant do our dirty work and get him killed or should I just leave them be"

"Even if he does our work for us, I doubt he would get himself killed. He may be all about honor and chivalry but he is a potent fighter. Do not underestimate him!"

"I will keep that in mind"

"Something still bothers you master?'

"She wasn't affected by his curse. I find that curious. She is no magus and she is a sucker for knightly characters and romance. He fits the description perfect."

"Maybe because she is his master."

"No. That curse isn't related to the Grail War and it's in his legend. There's something else. She's a stubborn woman, maybe that's how she can resist it. Let's get back to our fortress"

"You truly do not fear retribution from her servant if you kill his master, or if he finds out you are a master?" he asked

"The only way he can get to me is if his spear comes out of the toilet" he answered confident.

Some time earlier – no character spoil

Outside was dark and a man was leaning on an apartment building.

"You missed, Assassin" he said

"My apologies, master but I do not understand your reasoning in saving the girl. If I waited a little longer I could have finished Archer in one hit and Lancer would have been without a master"

"I want her for myself"

"Shall I go after Archer then or after Lancer?'

"Neither. We can spring the trap at any time at either of them. We are still missing a master. Let them kill each other and we'll mop up the rest"

"And what of the girl?"

"It was a one time deal. If she can't protect herself, it's her problem. I would love to see her grovel at my feet, but that can wait until after we win"

The figure looked at his familiar who was in the shape of an old dog and then at the barriers that surrounding his base. He added another barrier just to be sure. They were fully cloaked and with Assassin's abilities they managed to keep hidden even while walking around town. He thought of the image of the girl hugging Lancer, it pissed him off and put it out of his mind for now. Her time will come; all he had to do is wait. And he could wait!

Day 6

Elwing opened her eyes and stretched in order to regain feeling in her body, then went in her original position. It did no good, the sleep just disappeared. She turned and looked up only to see Lancer gazing at her. She realized she was curled and her face was exactly next to his leg.

"Sorry!" she said getting up and going into a normal position next to the wall and hiding under the covers. She wanted to pass through it in shame.

"Why are you apologizing master?" he asked

"Doesn't matter" came her reply from under the covers.

"I will start to work on your arrows. You continue to rest!"

"No, no. I can help. Tell me what needs to be done" she said, her head emerging from under the blankets.

"Normally it will take the wood 6 months to season. But I managed to find this tree and it's core is quite dry. It will have to do" he told her.

"We need tools in order to use these" she said and got out of bed.

She went straight to her father's cabinet and pulled out all the sand paper she could find, files, fishing lines and other tools she thought might help.

"I don't have any knocks for the arrows" she told him as she put the tools next to the bed. She went to one of her closets and brought back a big sheet. She set it in front of the wood and put the tools on it. "Please work on this, my dad will kill me if I ruin the floor even more"

"Yes, master" Lancer replied "do not worry about the knocks, those I can carve in the wood, the tips of the arrows are another story."

"Ow! Those and a device to center the feather I can get. Rumyel still has my metal arrow tips and some friends have the feather thingy. Let me get my phone"

As she went on the hallway to talk on the phone and set up the meetings Lancer went through the tools she had brought. It was more than enough and he raised Gae Buidhe from the ground and cut the first board into smaller pieces. He had to be extra careful not to damage the floor as his master said. When she returned, he was already using the sandpaper to give a round shape to the first arrow.

"They said they will swing by later" she answered Lancer "can I help you with anything?"

"No master"

"Ok! Then I better clean the house, it's a pig sty in here!"

She started cleaning, the epic music coming from the speakers. Lancer liked her choice in music. He even heard some songs similar to what was during his time. He was amazed at how fast his master cleaned. She moved around him eager to finish. In just 15 minutes she was done. She proceeded in opening the window.

"You should take a break and leave the room. It will get chilly" she told the servant.

He obeyed her but not because of the chill. He wanted to see her work. In the kitchen she finished even faster. She washed the dishes from the day before, cleaned the table and the cooker and mopped the floor. He went back to his work and heard her working in the bathroom and then the hallway. In just 2 hours she had finished cleaning the house. By the time she came back in the room he had already closed the window and was working on the 7th shaft.

"My back is killing me" she said throwing herself on the bed.

Lancer put down the piece of wood he was working on and looked at her. She was clearly in pain. He got up and sat next to her and put his hand on her back. Her body trembled but she did not move. He proceeded in moving his hand on her back to comfort her. She sat there relaxing more and more until she fell asleep.

He then returned to his work. By the time he reached his 50th shaft the inter com rang, making his master jump from her sleep and almost falling off the bed in her rush to answer. She returned and sat on the bed yawning.

"Thank you for the massage, Lancer" she smiled at him "I slept like a rock"

He nodded and got up. He took Gae Dearg and went to answer the door. Elwing came from the side and greeted her friends as her servant opened the door. Lancer still didn't like the fact that she still jumped at the door, but hid his discontent. She was still reckless despite his warnings.

She welcomed her guests and proceeded to taking out glasses for beverages since her friends brought beer and pizza. There were 3 males Diarmuid noted. One bulky man, not so tall but with a very good build, one tall but skinny although he could see the man's muscles clearly. And then there was Rumyel, he did not know what to think of the man anymore. The servant perceived the first 2 as real possible threats but he could not sense anything mystic about them so he started relaxing.

"Moooother…! You guys really set up shop" the skinny one said looking at the pile of shafts

"Eh! I really need some arrows" Elwing replied

"The wood isn't seasoned, they'll curve"

"I know! But it's only temporary" she replied

"Well, here's the fletching jig" the bulky one replied and handed her a metal device

"Can you please show Diarmuid how to use it? I suck at anything involving craftsmanship"

"Sure. With what will you fletch the arrows?"

Elwing went behind Diarmuid and on her toes trying to get to on upper shelf. Lancer got up and took the bag she was aiming for, much to her anger. He showed the feathers to the bulky man

"Aquila feathers" she said proud

"Oho!" the bulky man said astonished "Really good feathers and in such a good condition" he added "I found a dead Aquila on the Siret's bank. I showed you the arrows, right? "

"The huge ones, you said you would cut them"

"And I did! They fly really nice, but I kept one with long feathers, just for show"

They continued talking about archery and the two started sharing stories. They drank and laughed and for the first time Diarmuid saw Elwing laughing from all her heart, with tears in her eyes and unable to stop. She had a colorful laughter and contagious at that. Even he started laughing just because she was. In the end they both were laughing hard, she was laughing because he was laughing and vice versa. They managed to stop in the end. He regained control quite easily compared to his master who still bursted in laughter. Gesturing and having her hand on her mouth to help her.

After some other stories about archery and contests and lots of photos the trio left, leaving him once again alone with his master.

"God!" she said after closing the door "I haven't laughed like that in ages. And you laughed too" she told Diarmuid "It was a bit of a shock really. But I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Or at least I hope you did'

"I did enjoy myself master. Thank you"

"For what?"

"For letting me join in your merriment"

"My pleasure" she replied.

He went back to his work and she laid on the bed watching him. It was already around 8 o'clock and she soon fell asleep. When he saw his master sleeping she got up and tucked her in like the night before. He was truly grateful for the opportunities she had given him, inviting him at her table and into her home. She didn't treat him as a servant, but he knew all this would have to end once the war started. He returned to his place and continued working.

He thought of the day before and seeing the people today, he concluded that his master would be safer close to him than left alone in the house. He continued making arrows through the night, also etching some symbol that he knew into it.

Day 7

Elwing woke up as usual, stretched and looked at her servant who was still making arrows. "_A week! It's been a week_" she thought and yawned. She got up and opened her pc like any other morning. Making sure that Lancer wasn't paying attention she looked up some recipes.

"Muhahaha" she let out what wanted to be an evil laughter but without the laughter.

"Master?" Lancer looked at her weird.

"Let's go shopping!" she said bumping her fists repeatedly and fast.

She grabbed her things and went to change, while giggling the whole time. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a long green jumper that covered the upper quarter of her leg. She also put on silver jewelry and green eye shade. She arranged her hair in a certain type of hair loop, to look more professional. She exited the bathroom and found Lancer dressed casually and waiting for her. He looked astonished at her.

"What? Do you think I look like a grunt all the time? When I feel like dressing up, I do so. But only when I feel like it" she replied.

They went outside and Elwing dragged him to the huge supermarket near the crossroad. He liked seeing his master in high spirits and she looked astonishing good. She was beautiful before but now she was radiant. They descended on escalators and she saw her servant a bit worried. She was too, she hated escalators.

She entered the shop in front of her. She saw a pair of high heeled boots that she would love to have but when she saw the price she sighted and put them back. Next she stopped at the jewelry store. She saw some beautiful earrings but they were too expensive. What she thought was silver was actually platinum. "_Eh! I have such expensive taste_" she thought disappointed. She continued her shopping at the food section. She stopped for a long time at the alcoholic beverages, she couldn't decide on wine or brandy. In the end she bought one of each and a bottle of Champaign. When she was finally done they returned home. Lancer was carrying the bags. To his surprise his master did not complain. Her attitude was different as well, more lady-like, her movements more refined. As they walked he could hear the metal sound that her master's high-heels were making. Such a good rhythm he thought and couldn't help but smile.

At home Elwing started preparing lunch while he returned to finishing the arrows. They ate lunch, which Elwing made special traditional Romanian food. She was smiling and talking a lot. Lancer could not understand the change, was his master happy to be alive or was it something else? He looked at her worried and she didn't miss it. She put her spoon down and asked.

"What?"

"If you wish to back down from the war, I would understand, master"

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been in high spirits the past 2 days. I think that maybe you wish to retire from this war"

"Hell no!" she replied annoyed "I was celebrating! It's been 7 days since I summoned you and I thought of making something special. I am not retiring, geez, do I look so weak"

"NO! Master, no!" came Lancer's quick reply

"Well, let's enjoy the food which I hope you **like**" she said putting emphasis on the last word.

"Of course I do. It's good, very good" Lancer continued defending himself.

When they were done she started clearing the table and Lancer returned to his work. She opened the brandy bottle and smelled the liquor. She filled a glass and brought it to Lancer. He thanked her and drank it. The rest of the day she spent it playing video games and thinking while Lancer kept working. It was December now and she knew what day was slowly aproaching. She sighted and let her mind wonder.

In another part of town –

"Why won't you kill them, sis?" a small girl was saying.

"Because we need to play by the rules this time, or we get our privileges striped"

"I want bloodshed, I want to see corpses, you promised"

"I did. But this country isn't that good with necromancy. We already killed a dozen for mana supply but their corpses are useless"

"You don't need necromancy master. I will kill for you and I will make rivers of blood flow from the corpses of your enemies"

"You will Rider" the one called sis said "As soon as the Church gives its approval we strike and I will see blood stain this earth" she continued grinning

"You know I found a master, I found a master. She was so scared when I whispered to her. The idiot was without her servant" the girl giggled "and she didn't even see me. I could have stabbed her right there. Can I get that master's corpse later? I promise I will make her cry often!"

"Patience little sister. We will get a chance. We will win this and make it rain blood" the bigger girl replied ecstatic.

Somewhere else

"How are you recovering Archer?"

"I'm as good as new" the servant replied while kneeling beside a bed.

"You went behind my back"

"I only whished to end this quick. We do not know how much time you have left! You need the Grail. I am the best marksman, the servant Archer. I only wished to bring swift death of your enemies and save you"

"And you went against a defenseless girl"

"Better a swift death, than a prolonged one. That girl stands no chance."

"I thought you were an honorable marksman" his master said getting up from the bed

"I am and this is war. People die, master and we are running out of time"

"How did you find Assassin?"

"Deadly! I will not make the same mistake twice. But it did not seem as if he had an alliance with Lancer's master"

"Let me lend you more of my mana. Enlarge your detection field!"

"No master. My detection field is enough. I only need your mana to stay materialized"

"Do not leave the house again until I order otherwise" the man in the bed said "Understood!" the servant replied and got up.

Archer looked at the skinny figure on the bed. A man lay there with his eyes closed, his master. Using a command spell had taken a lot out of the man and he sat there sleeping. It was clear that even speaking was an effort to him. They had come to this country four months ago to prepare, but his master's illness had taken the better of him. The house they resided had only two barriers set up. It was nothing compared to the rest. Even with his detection skills and enhanced vision he still couldn't find the other servants unless they were outside their fortresses.

Lancer's master bothered him the most. He did not know what the girl was hiding or how she was hiding. She looked like a regular human to him. If he didn't see her with her servant more than twice he wouldn't have ever thought her as a master. She was undetectable unless he used traditional methods and he only had her scent because he arrived at the summoning site before all traces dissipated.

He turned his thoughts towards his master. "_Good men always die suffering_!" he thought. When he was summoned, the first thing he saw was this man sitting in front of him. His master had smiled to him and bided him welcome, shown him his mark and told him that he was his master. He had spent another 2 months with this man. He saw his master's wife, she was as kind as he was. They loved each other so much and they also had two daughters. Two beautiful girls age 6 and 10. He stood immaterial for 2 months observing and growing fond of this man. His master lived a simple life, he strived to be a good father and husband. He wasn't a powerful mage but he helped if he could and had many good friends because of that. That was in his country, Germany. They came to this backwater town as soon as they heard where the war was to take place, hoping to set up some traps, make preparations. But soon his master was bedridden, fading a little each day. He suggested to his master that he should kill people for a better mana supply, he even promised to slay only criminals, but his master refused. And now he was getting worst. He finished his rounds and dematerialized, returning to his master's side.

Another week passed without any incidents for any master or servant. Berserker was still not summoned and they were at a standstill. Elwing practiced every day at archery and continued her kendo training. She had truly grown accustomed with living with Lancer. He always let her know in advance when her family was coming, giving her an advantage and keeping the fighting at a minimum. He always hid on the rooftop of the apartment building and used his abilities to scout the area without moving. Elwing had also gotten used to the whirlwind sensation when Lancer used that ability. He worked with her each day, trying to make her hit him, but she still couldn't. Her techniques were good, but without a clear hit they meant nothing.

Day 14 – The beginning

In the dead of night, Elwing opened her eyes and felt the bed starting to move. She stood still as stone. As the shaking got harder, Lancer, thinking that his master was still asleep lifted her by the waist and went to the window. She felt like a sack of potatoes.

"Wait" she cried "It's an earthquake"

Soon the shaking stopped and Lancer put his master back down on the bed. Outside the window, it was still dark.

"A servant was summoned" he said and he opened the window and jumped out going to his usual place on the apartment building.

Elwing soon felt the world spinning and knew that Lancer was using his abilities again. This time she concentrated as well and could feel like a wave of water hitting 1-2-3-4-5-6 rocks The usual headache and nausea soon made their appearance as well. "_God damn it, why can't it be rainbows and butterflies for once_" she thought. She felt worst than usual. She covered her eyes with her hand, she felt like crying. Lancer soon returned and looked at her. She was sitting with her back against the wall and her knees close to her mouth. She raised her head and looked at her servant. He was standing proud with his twin lances, each in one hand. He looked as if he could conquer the whole world, so brave, so confident, but when she looked into his eyes she found sadness. His facial expression was so sad she felt her being breaking into pieces.

"The gang's all here" she said trying to joke

"Yes. That was the last servant"

"Would you sleep next to me, Lancer?" she asked

He nodded and came next to her. He arranged his spears at the foot of the bed, like he always did and lay in bed next to his master. He left his mind drift and fell asleep. He had slept next to his master 4 times already, but they never woke up embracing each other like on their 3rd day. He reached for her and traced the lines of her back trying to sooth the pain that he knew she was in and made her muscles relax. He knew she wasn't asleep, but she did not fight either. When he stopped she came near him and he embraced her, but things went no further again.

He woke up first and tightened his grip on the girl's body. It seemed so small and so fragile to him. He could feel her scent, her real scent between the vapors and deodorant. She indeed used too much of the stuff. He arranged a lock of her hair and smiled. "_Such a trusting woman_" he thought. In his time with her, he came to understand her a little. She was a little naïve, she easily trusted anyone even though she tried not to.

He remembered a little incident when she was talking on her computer with some people. She left the conversation on the speakers so Lancer could hear as well. She told him that she didn't want to seem insane talking to herself. The persons in that conversation was complaining about some romance and Lancer concluded he was lying but his master kept agreeing and giving him good advice. When she told Lancer she closed the conversation he asked her why she believed him since the man was clearly lying.

"Because he didn't betray me…yet" she answered "If some of it is true, then he maybe will or will not head my advice. I really don't care more than that".

"So you knew he was lying" he continued urging her to speak her mind on the matter

"Of course, there were clearly discrepancies in his story. But I don't care that much, when speaking about things that have already passed you always deteriorate the truth, you add a little spice here, mistake a detail there. The fact that he was lying like a bitch still makes no difference. Humans!" she shrugged at the end.

That was when Lancer understood that his master over analyzed every detail. Even in games she always seemed indecisive and even when fighting he saw that she was thinking her moves a lot. She was spontaneous as well, in little things such as going shopping or an activity for the day. He really liked her dual nature, her many facets that actually hid a very sensitive woman.

She woke up as he was pondering and looked into her eyes. She had such beautiful green eyes which she always hid behind a pair of glasses. She did not wear them during practice or when shooting as she said they were uncomfortable, even if that narrowed her field of vision. When shooting, as she would say, she stopped thinking so she didn't need to see either.

"Good morning, master" he greeted her.

"Sorry" she replied embarrassed "good morning"

The rest of the day they followed their routine of training, eating and training again. Lancer was relieved that nothing more of note had happened. That night he took Elwing into his arms again as she slept, but remained vigilant.

Day 15

The next morning Elwing opened her eyes and found herself facing Lancer's broad chest. "_Ow fuck me_!" she cursed in her head feeling her temperature rising. When Lancer greeted her, like the day before she had the same reaction of hoping that the ground would open up and swallow her. She loved how safe he made her feel but in the same time she was thinking of his curse. "_Damn you lecher! One of these days…I swear…one of these days_" she yelled in her head _"I'll kiss him_" she thought in a soft and sad voice "_Fuck my life_!" she concluded and freed herself from Lancer's embrace and got up.

She felt different that day though. In the bathroom she kept arranging her head. It didn't hurt but she felt uncomfortable. Today she wouldn't go training she decided. She made breakfast as always and she and Lancer sat to eat. He was eating in silence but she took a bite and pushed it away.

She got up and went to her room, opened her pc and while the machine was starting up she started pacing. She pressed a key on her piano and stared down at the music sheet that was there. She hadn't practiced for 2 weeks. Since she started training she didn't give any attention to her musical instrument.

She sat at the pc and stared at the screen. She got up violently and dragged her chair in front of the piano. She took out some music sheets and began to play. Lancer appeared in the door way, having cleaned the kitchen he was amazed to see that his master was playing and not something from her computer. The first melody seemed bizarre to him, the second seemed sad, the third was uplifting and the fourth was cheery. He did not move from the doorway until she was done.*

*Note: The melodies Elwing plays are in order: Death Waltz from Aion Ost, Prelude from Final Fantasy, Fear not this night from Guild Wars 2 Ost and Spinach Rag from Final Fantasy VI.

She turned to see Lancer and smiled. She got up and dragged the chair back at her computer and started searching. Lancer came and sat behind her as usual.

"That was beautiful, master"

"Thank you, still needs work, I fucked up a few bits" she replied her smile widening "God I wish they would be so kind as to make a site with **A complete idiot's guide to the Holy Grail War** or** Grail master noobs - enter here**" she continued "there's nothing on familiars and I have read about all the legends of the all the heroes I could find" she said stretching. "Let's go out! We're not training today"

She went and got dressed. She chose a short black dress, the one she had intended on wearing the night of her City's Celebration Day. She chose a different silver set with earrings, a necklace and a bracelet. She also took the ring with which she summoned her servant. She did her make-up with blue mixed with silver today and even used one of her special perfumes. That day, even if it was windy, she left her hair down except for a small braided lock on her right side.

When she exited her room, Lancer could not help but stare. She didn't notice it as she was putting on her boots. The dress showed her curves well and the servant noticed her master's firm breasts. She arranged a lock of her hair and he saw the silver earrings. There was also a sweet scent in the air. As she stood there he could see down her cleavage. He didn't look away and as his master raised her head she met his eyes and smiled. He was waiting in the hallway in his casual attire. And as she passed him, he heard her whisper "God, you're tall". As they were walking Lancer brought himself to ask his master.

"Why are you repeating the word God when you yourself say that he is not real?"

"It's just a word" she replied yawning "more like a reflex I can't shake anymore. I can't prove God is real or not and frankly I don't care. But I prefer to think he isn't real because they say that he is all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful. The idea that an old man watches us rubs me the wrong way. I mean I can't go take a shit without God knowing, come on!" she said "I don't accept it, I won't accepted" she said "I am the heroine of my own life, thank you, I hold the reigns of my life" she finished

Diarmuid smiled and ended the discussion there. He always liked to provoke the girl. Her declarations always showed how resolute she was.

They entered a cake shop and sat at a table. It was empty except for them. It was still morning. She ordered a strawberry short-cake and a tea while Lancer ordered just a tea.

"I love these cakes" she told him "let's just relax today"

When the cake came, Lancer quickly took up the spoon and took a bite to make sure it wasn't poisoned.

"Hey!" she said "order your own" she told him pouting

"My apologies" he said a bit confused.

Her master took the spoon from him and tasted the cake and nodded happy. Lancer understood that she was off her guard.

"I've looked up every link on familiars I could find and on servants. I read about every legend I could find and especially about the weapons, but I afraid that even if I know which hero it is, I won't be able to counter him. I always think of the best solution when everything is over, or I over think things and end up going on instinct cause I get the same number of pros and cons"

"Countering the other heroes is my job, master"

"Then why did we train if not for me to fight with you"

"I do hope you have not changed your mind on letting me fight" he continued ignoring her question

"I haven't, it's just that I want to be on the battlefield, no matter how gory it will be" she said

"I tend to agree that there is no safer place than by my side, not with two masters already knowing who you are"

"Sorry Lancer. I am dead weight to you"

"As a knight I cannot a lady fall into danger" he said

"Thank you" she said looking down and blushing.

When she raised her head, she reached for her neck and rubbed it a little. And then began to continue her ordeal in finishing her piece of cake. Half way through she stopped and looked at Lancer and then at her cake. There was a piece of strawberry on it and she decided to risk it. She got the piece on her spoon.

"Say aaaa, Lancer" she told her servant

He opened his mouth, feeling a little awkward and ate the strawberry piece. But seeing how honest his master was smiling he forced a small smile back. She was acting peculiar today. And the repeated movement of her neck bothered him.

When they finished, she paid and they left. Outside Elwing made a left and right movement with her neck and looked around. Then she started to go down the stairs from the cake-shop with Lancer close behind her.

"Master" he asked "is there something wrong with your neck?"

"No. I just feel uncomfortable for some reason"

He looked at her but said nothing further. She took him to the ferry crossing and they crossed the river. Lancer was amazed at the ship he was on, a metal giant that made a hurling sound. It screeched as it was cast off. And then the engines started hurling harder and the ship started moving forward. They were sitting at the reels on the starboard side. Elwing looked so happy that she even giggled when she turned towards him. The ride itself didn't last long, the metal giant hit the docks slowly. They got off and walked towards the banks.

"My dad is a ship's captain" she told him "but I haven't been on a ship since…well… around 6 years. I really liked it! Going to the Black Sea with him and to the beach while the cargo containers where filled or emptied. But that was a long time ago! I still remember passing some sun flower fields. And dad even took a picture saying _take it now who knows when we will see one again_. That picture should still be in the house somewhere" she reminiscent fondly.

"You don't really hate your parents, do you?" Lancer responded.

"No matter what I do, I still soften up. I should hate them for what they are doing, but this is what I meant about time changing everything. The pain fades, but they make sure to inflict a new one just to make sure I remember or something. Usually that's when I get angry and rebellious again. And they always do that when the world seems brighter to me. It's a good war tactic if you think about it" she said changing the subject but then added "There is still one thing I won't forget my family for though. My aunt and uncle for breaking their promise and selling Fulger, my horse, my parents for not helping me keep him when they promised they would and the fact that they forced my hand in giving up my only companion, Shade" she continued walking as she talked and sighed "In the end I guess I am the one to blame, I am the one who failed in both saving Fulger and Shade. I put my survival first and I hate it. I should have fought, I should have fought harder" she concluded a tear rolling on her cheek.

Lancer wiped it with his thumb and looked at the girl in front of him. She looked at him for a second and closed her eyes giving him a sad smile.

"Sorry for dumping my problems on you. It wasn't something you should have heard me say. I'm sorry. Aaaa…If you want to run around, jump do what ever you want. It's an open space and there are no people around, it's our last day in peace after all."

Diarmuid took his master's hand and walked through the forest with her. There was no other place he wanted to be than at this girl's side walking at her slow pace and just enjoying the sound of the wind. He saw that she was struggling in her high heeled boots but when ever he slowed down she picked up the pace. She soon began to smile like she used to. He showed her a deer at some point and heard her squeaking with admiration, she confessed that she had never actually seen one alive. Then he showed her some birds that he recognized as they were also in his homeland.

She liked stopping and admiring flowers or some tree. And she would tell him what she saw or what she imagined at the moment they were moving. She liked talking about mythology and told him some stories and how she imagined knights looked like, riding into battle. When they returned she saw some horses and stopped to admire them.

"Just look at them Diarmuid" she said "free, and pretty and majestic. Look at the white one, the freckled one. There's no such thing as a pure white horse, they all have freckles of different colors" she ranted "I want to pet one so badly" she said then turned around and took Lancer's hand and dragged him towards the ferry "I miss Fulger, sorry!"

The sun was starting to set when they reached the other bank. They went up the steep hill and his master stopped and looked at the sunset.

"Today was a good day!" she whispered

"It was, master" came Diarmuid's reply

They started back, Lancer noticed that his master's mood changed. She was serious and walked with her head lowered at a faster pace. She didn't move her head but he could feel her gaze shifting from time to time.

"Lancer!" she said as they crossed the street and starting going up the hill "I will be arrogant in this war. And I will try to trash talk, probably embarrass myself at it. Don't mind it too hard, please. Also I haven't forgotten what I told you in the park that night. You will kill me if it's a trap. Win this war!" she said and started to relax as she saw the knight nodding.

After they entered the house she threw herself on the bed. Stretched while meowing like a cat and sat there for a few seconds. Then she got up put her coat on the hanger. She changed and went to bed.

At the cathedral

A small woman was kneeling in front of the altar praying. She was wearing a blue long dressed.

"Praying again, Saber" a young man said kneeling next to her joining in her prayers.

He was tall and lean with long hair braided and strapped with a black ribbon. After they finished their prayer they sat up and walked out of the church.

"Master" the young girl began "Are you sure about this. Using a command spell to send a summon"

"I want to see what we are dealing with and also if she will come, Lancer's master"

"Didn't Father Damian call her insane?" the servant said

"I doubt she is insane, but if she is it's good to see just how insane she is. Know thy enemy so thy might smite him with all your power" he said jokingly in a priestly manner.

The young woman frowned but did not reply. She put her hand on the cross that hanged from her neck.

Day 16

Around 2 am she felt Lancer moving. He got out of bed and picked up his spears. She got up as fast as she could, surprising her servant.

"What is it?" she asked trying to hear any movement.

"It seems we are being summoned" Lancer responded

"Let's answer then" she replied making an open hand gesture.

She went to bed fully dressed, in her most comfortable black jeans and a black sweater. Lancer found it a bit excessive, but she wouldn't hear of it. If she was to die, at least she wouldn't die in her pajamas, unless they were the blue ones, she loved her blue pajamas for her bell like sleeves. She went to the big closet from her hallway and took out a long black leather coat.

"I knew it was good to keep this" she smiled

She came back into the room, arranged her hair as fast as she could in a high pony tail, put her army boots on and strapped on the harness that Lancer had made for her. She had a big quiver on her back holding around 30 arrows and to the side she had her bokkens. She wished she had real words, but she would have to make due. It took her around 5 minutes to finish everything.

She exited the house and locked the door, for what she could not say since she didn't expect to get out alive. She turned around, passed Lancer and ran down the stairs. When she exited the apartment building, the cold air hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Can I ask something she said looking around" she saw the ugly yellow dog "Fuck you!" she replied towards the familiar making a step towards it as if to scare it. "How far is it?" she asked Lancer

"It is just passed that water fountain, you called it a dandelion"

"Would you be tired if you carried me there at top speed?"

"Of course not!" he replied

He walked towards his master, made Gae Buidhe disappear and lifted her in his arms and jumped as high as he could. He continued to do so until they reached the place. He let his master go and she armed her bow. He made Gae Buidhe appear and went in front. She followed him silently. They passed through the half empty parking lot, towards the only building there. On the stairs stood the young blond girl, dressed in her navy colored battle dress and with her long hair braided. She did not draw her sword as they approached. As Elwing came in range she pulled on the string of her bow and aimed. She hoped that if the servant in front of her dodged the arrow then Lancer could move forward and strike.

"I mean you no harm" she told them

"And why should I believe you, are you not a servant?" she replied arrogantly.

"I have summoned all here to meet." she continued.

"Ow!" Elwing said and lowered her bow, Lancer on the other hand didn't seem to relax.

They stood to the right side, close to the bushes and small trees and close to the road. No car seemed to pass but it made Elwing feel safer. The master looked at the servant in front of her, the second she saw the sword she concluded that the blond was Saber. She looked closer and saw the cross on her chest. "_Joan of Arc_" she immediately thought. She raised her right foot a few millimeters and made an arc in front of her, as to better balance herself.

"So tell me, holy saint. How was it to be burned at the stake, screaming in agony as your flesh melted of your bones. Did you scream for your little God? Because I don't think he heard you. Or better yet he heard you and decided to laugh in your face, to let you alone in your most agonizing moment. Tell me how was it to die in shame of the people you saved?" she said throwing the words like poison darts in her most arrogant voice. The blond didn't respond but fiddled with her cross. "Mitsuketa!"* she whispered triumphant.

*Note – Mitsuketa – means "Found you" in Japanese

She was sure that the girl in front of her was Joan of Arc. She tried to remember the legend. _"Good leader, good fighter, she survived a war, saint_" she was now thinking but as she did she started to feel guilty. She threw quite some harsh words and started looking at the girl in front of her then down. She repeated the action, she felt more and more uncomfortable. She did not know if she should apologize or not. It was war, she should destabilize Joan for Lancer to win, but she felt so guilty, after all, the girl was a true hero. Diarmuid watched as his master struggled, it was more than clear she was feeling bad. No matter how hard she tried she was too kind hearted. He came closer and put his hand on her shoulder. She nodded and took a step forward.

"Saber…I….ammm" she began

"Aaaaa…we have women playing at war!" came a voice that interrupted them.

A man materialized a few feet away from Saber. He was dressed in a white long jacket with metal markings. At the lower back the jacket ended with a chain on which stood a metal rose and at the end of the rose a small metal spike.

"I cannot believe you summoned us, Saber" he continued.

"Leave the women be" said a tall lean man, dressed in green medieval attire with a crossbow in his hand.

"Nobody asked you Robin Hood"

"Sadly I am not him" came the hero's reply.

Elwing could feel her servant tensing. She looked at the men with cold eyes. "_Caster_" she thought "_typical_!" but she couldn't discern anything more. The rose did not tell her anything either. The other one was clearly Archer and as he blatantly put it, he wasn't Robin Hood. She couldn't think of any other medieval archer, he was clearly not Chinese. Those guys made heroes out of anything and she was relieved. If they survived she would start searching. Berserker, Rider and Assassin were missing.

She shifted her weight, keeping her feet a little bit flexed in case she needed to dodge. A minute passed and she couldn't think of anything provoking to say except at Caster's cloths which reminded her of an armor from her previous game. All he was missing was blue skin and long ears to fit the pattern. She closed her eyes and smiled.

She couldn't tell anything from Archer. He was as stereotypical as it got. With the tights and green tunic, but the crossbow did attract some attention. It was a crossbow, not a bow which meant it was of a more recent era.

A man approached them slowly, walking through the parking lot. He was massively built with blond hair and blue eyes. He looked at them and waved as a greeting. Elwing drew little of the string, she didn't know if he was a servant or a witness, but he most likely was a servant. She looked worried at the other 3 servants that were gathered besides her and Lancer. And when she looked at him he shook his head which made her lower her hand.

"Ah! We are friends tonight I see" the man said "unfortunately my master could not attend. But I see we have a brave young lady here" he said

Elwing looked down sad, she had hoped to receive the compliment. Lancer put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. She looked up confused.

"I am talking about you young master" the bulky man said when he saw her reaction

"Ah! Thank you" she said feeling awkward. All her all-mighty act went to hell "Saber here also is brave" she added.

"Indeed' the man bellowed and took his place further to Caster's right.

They waited a while longer and Elwing looked at the man in casual wear. What class he was, she could not tell. Nothing gave away the giant. In her book Assasins were supposed to be lean, sneaky, this man was a giant. She couldn't help but smile since in the game she played you could be any class, no mater the race. And she imagined the intro with the huge cat with a small knife in its hands towering over a human. "_This will be fun_" she thought.

A racket was approaching and everyone from the lower part turned. Through the cars a war chariot appeared. It was lead by a woman who had the reign in one hand and a spear in the other.

"Lancer, look at that" she said her face lighting up. The chariot stopped at their left the horses breathing heavily. "Oh my God!" she said enthusiastic "just look at those horses. They're Frisians. They're the only breed of warhorse to be able to pull a man in full armor through any field. They can be used as draught horses as well. Just look at those feathered feet at that snout. They're originally from Netherlands" she continued not realizing that everyone was looking at her "They reach around 1.60 m, they're basically 2 cm taller than me. They mixed the blood a little with Andalusian and others to make them more distinct. Now there are 2 types. The heavy draft horse, like these and the more light type one, for speed" she concluded and added quick "Oh, my God, this is awesome. I never thought I get to see one alive…ever…" she was squeaking from emotion "Lancer. Sorry!" she said and put her bow down and opened her harness which fell on the ground. "Can I please pet them?" she asked and without waiting a response she started walking towards the horses.

For the first time Diarmuid panicked, he couldn't grab her or someone might find a good opening to attack, he did not know these heroes. So he moved Gae Deargh to stop his master, but she was already out of the spear range. She walked fast towards the horses but as she got closer she slowed down. When she felt she was close enough she said happy.

"Hi! My name is Elwing" and extended her hands. The horses moved their heads and she started petting them, to everyone's surprise the animals did not try to bite "You're a beauty and you're a beauty also" she said to them "yes, yes you are, you sweet war machines. If I knew I'd ran into you I would have brought some apples or carrots" she continued "You're so damn pretty. Rider stop pulling so hard on their reigns, you're hurting their mouths. You get better results by just talking to them!"

"Ahahhaahhaha" came the blond man's laughter "she has you beaten Rider"

"We're not here to fight, that's why they won't attack" Elwing told Rider "when we will fight they will run me over as you wish. They are war horses after all"

Diarmuid was somewhat relieved and amazed at how her master handled animals. He remembered her reaction at the horses from that morning and how she treated the dogs. He shook his head. When they would get back he would have to talk to her about tonight, but for now he couldn't embarrass her, not when everyone was admiring her skill.

"We're missing just one more hero" the hulky man bellowed "will he not show Saber?"

"How long do you intend to sit in the shadow, you old geezer" Archer said "I am guessing he was the first one here"

From the shadows a figure emerged and got in between Lancer and Archer. He was wearing a black hood with a black cape on the side. Two gauntlets adorned his hands, and on one of his hands he had a rough leather glove with small metal plates. He also had a huge belt at his waist with different pouches. He wore high leather boots fastened with leather strapping.

"Now that we're all here…" she began while turning to walk towards her servant. When she saw the man she stopped, all color fading from her. She felt immediately sick "Is this some kind of joke" she said angry

"Not that I am aware of" Assassin replied with a strong Italian accent.

"You can't be him…" she replied "he's not a real hero"

"I am made from flesh and bones, I assure you, shall I remove my hood for you to confirm?" he mocked her

"Hmph!" came the girl's cold reply while tilting her head.

Lancer did not like it one bit, Asassin was right in front of her. She was boxed in with Archer at the side and Rider at her back who already tried to kill her. His master was in peril but he did not dare move. Everyone saw her panicking and he could not stop her or conceal it. But when she tilted her head, he knew what was coming and got ready, for his master was surely going to get attacked.

"Well now, while you are a surprise, you are still a servant" she continued in the most arrogant manner. "Saaaa…." she left the vowels fly in the air "Do you or your masters wish to add any rules to this twisted hell game?" she asked, her voice ringing in the air. It was a lower tone, filled with arrogance "A free for all, Capture the Flag, Last man standing? Well this so called war is already a Last man standing" she waited for a reply but none gave one "Well then, while I would love to meet all of you in open field combat we all know that due to certain...**reasons**… we cannot. I will tell you now, believe me or not it's your choice. No matter the opponent we sill fight you head on in honorable combat" she stopped and Lancer nodded "So I ask you" she continued "are there any takers for this night?" she waited for another reply but none gave it, Caster shook his head "Very well then, I bid you all good night. Let's go Lancer" she concluded started walking back. She stopped parallel to Assassin as Berserker bellowed.

"Then there is nothing more to talk!" Berserker said "I welcome all challenges as well. I will kill who ever I find in my path. May the best hero win!"

"Hmmmm" she smiled and continued walking

Lancer took her things from the ground and turned to follow his master who was walking very straight and who just passed him. Assassin dematerialized and after that so did Saber and Caster. Berserker started walking back in the opposite direction as them and Lancer started following Elwing.

"Wait Lancer!" Archer yelled after them coming closer "She's a brave woman I give you that" he said without any malice "Make sure you don't lose her again or next time I will make the shot"

"I appreciate the warning" Diarmuid replied coldly and followed his master

Elwing stopped right at the dandelion shaped water fountain and she took the harness and put it back on and the bow from him.

"What was that all about" she said miserable

"Just some friendly advice" he replied helping her buckle the straps.

He did not dare ask about her reaction to Assassin and waited to get home. As they descended towards to cake-shop from earlier that morning Elwing started cursing.

"Ow fucking piece of, fucking, hell, fucking fuck" she yelled "I can't believe it's that guy. How could he be hero, he's not real. It's supposed to be a legend. He's not a legend. I'm sure of it. I clearly remember Rumyel saying that he wasn't real, fucking Christ on a fucking cross. Geez, from all the stupid, ill mannered, backstabbing louts that history has to offer, they had to jump into fandom and drag him out of that universe. I swear, if I find his master I will beat him senseless!" she ended breathing heavily

"Master?" Diarmuid asked her slowly. He was treading on thin ice, he knew. She could lash out at him at any minute

"Yea, you can't know him. That Assassin is the main protagonist in a game. He's a fucking master killer, master strategist, master fucker" she replied to him and then added "And I don't mean that as an insult, seeing how he got all the prostitutes around him in that game. Master shadow walker, back alley lurker and it's only natural for him to be this way because it's a game and usually the protagonist is or becomes OP as fuck at the end, he's a freakin' monster, that's what he is. Not to mention that I saw he had a beard already with a few white hairs. That's when that fucker was at his peak. Are all of you summoned like that?"

"Yes!" Diarmuid answered her

"Well, we're fucked!" she announced "we got Joan of Arc as Saber, intelligent, strong and probably a good strategist since she was leading the armies, a badass Assassin who can kill armies with just 2 hidden blades, basically versatile in all weapons and a good Assassin. The others I didn't recognized, I have no idea, not to mention that Berserker is actually a fun guy! Wasn't he supposed to be insane or something?!"

"Most likely he is once he starts fighting"

"Great!"

By the time she finished her ranting they arrived at her apartment building. She looked and saw the yellow dog in the grass.

"Seriously! Fuck you!" she told the dog and entered

Lancer entered the apartment and checked it again before letting his master enter. Once she got rid of her coat and boots she sat on the bed. She was sulking more than ever.

"Master!" Diarmuid placing himself in front of her "I will use my Noble Phantasms from the start. I will not allow them to use theirs. I'll strike as hard as possible from the beginning"

"Noble Phantasms" she said "what's that?"

"My weapons, their enchantment is not something that I have to call out. All I have to do is remove the cloth from them"

"Wait! You mean to tell me that the weapons that you have also have special abilities?"

"Yes, they retain their enchantment through out time"

"Wounds that do not heal and nullification of magic" she said

"Yes!"

"Tell me everything you know about Noble Phantasms then"

Lancer began to explain how the Noble Phantasms could range from a weapon to any object. They were objects of power that once their name was called out, their special abilities were unleashed. She didn't like that, but also made her think. The Assassin was a fictional character that didn't exhibit special powers, unless he had another artifact, an artifact to enslave mankind she thought. She shared her information with Lancer and he did not like the thought of that. He continued to explain how his Noble Phantasms worked and they talked about some strategies. Lancer was an anti unit class, he fared well against large numbers of enemies. But here it was a 2 vs 2 and that was if the master participated. She thought of Assassin and Saber and remembered that she had a sword at her waste. The handle itself resembled a rapier more than anything.

She got up and opened her computer. She researched everything about Joan of Arc, but could find no mention of her sword. The image of an angel with a fiery sword came to mind. "_God damn saints and fiery swords_" she thought. In her head Joan could be from a fire element user to being able to resurrect herself. Dying by being burned alive wasn't quite her cup of tea. She preferred stabbing, it was cleaner. She read everything on Assassin and kept snickering and rubbing her forehead. She finished every detail she could find but could not imagine any other Noble Phantasm other than the golden artifact. She moved on to Berserker and moved on again, since he could be any hero, blond with blue eyes, he reminded her of a Viking but not quite since he didn't have the beard or the beer gut. At Caster she passed again, she had no idea what or which hero could be a caster. She already took all information from games and story and she hoped that Diarmuid was fast enough with Gae Dearg to stop him from casting anything. The only ones left were Archer and Rider. She chose Rider and began making a mental list: chariot user, spear user, woman, medieval attired and European.

The first rays of dawn came through the window and distracted her. She stretched and yawned realizing how tired she actually was. She didn't even realize when Lancer got to his seat behind her. Her body seemed fine but mentally she felt drained. She knew that if she stopped now she wouldn't have the same patience tomorrow. She pressed on searching for Rider's features. She read about every European heroine she could find and in the end it paid off. She found Boudica, warrior queen and what scared her the most was that it fit perfectly. Red head, tall, slim, chariot rider, spear wielder, gore fanatic, this all brought tears to her eyes.

"Why couldn't they just use I don't know Yoggi Bear as a hero!" she said almost crying "They had to chose Xena, the Warrior Princess and worst part is she IS a Warrior Princess, Queen. Fuck my life!" she ended putting her head on the desk "I give up, I surrender! Archer is just Archer and that's it" she said raising her head and letting it fall again.

Diarmuid put his hand on her back and rubbed it slowly. She brushed him off annoyed. She couldn't think anymore, her headache was back as well. She untied her hair and went to bed.

Lancer sighed and came to sit next to her. He sat there, guarding his master. Seeing how she reacted to everything he didn't dare scold her for running away. Elwing soon started moving in her sleep, most likely having a nightmare. She twisted and turned as if running away. He touched her hand and she stopped. Her muscles relaxed and she slept soundly. He took her hand in his and let her have a dreamless sleep. The sun was high in the sky when she opened her eyes. She looked at Lancer who had a sad facial expression and Elwing remembered her nightmare.

"What's with that expression on your face, Lancer?' she asked pouting

"Good morning, master" he replied instead.

She got up and went to wash herself. She changed clothes. Luckily she liked wearing the same thing as she had 5 pares of similar black jeans. She changed jumper for a red turtleneck and put a bolero above it. She made breakfast and as they sat to eat she started laughing.

"Master?"

"Now that I think about it, Rider's name is Boudica, I gave my ex the name Blutica and he even spelled it wrong since I stole it from another hero in the first place. Now I find out I named the fucker after a woman" she continued "this almost makes up for playing me the fool. God I should watch it with the nicknames from now on"

Diarmuid did not understand the joke but she felt so much better. It actually lifted her spirit and she forgot that she was actually talking about a gore loving hero.

"Now, we know who the 3 of the heroes are. But we have no idea of their abilities. Do you think you can overthrow Rider?"

"Yes!"

"Don't underestimate her because she is a woman, Diarmuid. You will find that in history we're the most dangerous"

"I am not underestimating her master"

"I mean it" she said serious

"Taking on a chariot is hard, but not impossible and I do have my own abilities master. While Saber is the favorite class in all the wars, Lancers are considered the most agile. Riders have their way of transportation to their advantage, but once they lose that it should be easier. What I lack in knowledge I will make up by instinct"

"I don't know why, but Saber doesn't bother me that much. She might have a flaming sword as a saint or an angel or whatever but I am sure you two will have an honorable duel if it comes to meeting her."

"I believe so too"

"Caster posses a problem since I do not know any Casters or anything about their real abilities. They can have any spell, trap and god knows what else. I just hope that casting spells use mana like in the games, that way he can't use too much and he seemed weak at a hand to hand combatant. Berserker as well, his casual attire and manner did not spark any interest. His speech was also flawless. I could not find any accent there. He can range from a Roman general or fighter to a gladiator or I have no idea. He can even be a Viking for all I know, just that he shaved his beard. Bleah! Who thought that blond men were so far spread"

"What are your thoughts about Archer, master?"

"None! There aren't many Archer heroes per say in European culture. And all I can think of are Robin Hood and another one, the one with the apple, Wilhem Tell or William Tell or something like that" she said and then closed her eyes "I'm an idiot!" she said and went to her computer, she searched the hero and yelled "He's from Switzerland. Are you fucking kidding me?! I always thought he was German" she said and then she started clicking around "Ow, wait there are other heroes. Never mind!" she said in the end "I can't tell if it's William Tell or not. Most of the heroes are from around that area anyways and even if he is William Tell, I can't imagine what Noble Phantasm he could have. Throw an apple at opponent to stun them for 5 seconds or something?!" She turned her chair around and looked at her servant "Let's take it from the beginning…"

She started with each hero and told Diarmuid the stories that she compiled and the differences between them. She tried to be as accurate as possible. Lancer stood there listening to everything carefully. His master managed to make very good character portrayals. When she finished it was slowly getting dark. They had a quick dinner and she went to sleep. Her headache was annoying her. She felt as if her head was pulsing and it would explode any minute. She managed to sleep for a few hours. It was around 10 pm. Her head ache came back as well as her nausea. She shook her head left and right but that made it worst and fell back on the bed. Lancer came near her. She felt dizzy, the whole room was spinning out of control. And then it all stopped, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Some time later – if you read character spoil then instead of figure/master use name.

The dark figure stood outside again and Assassin to the side in the shadow.

"You missed again, Assassin!" the figure said

"My apologies, master. It's their accursed magic" he said "You know my skills as well as my story. I do not miss!"

"Mages are indeed OP!" he admitted "and you do not have any Noble Phantasm I guess the loss of a phantasm was acceptable"

"Master! Wouldn't it be easy to just kill your relative and take the family crest from them? You would get more mana and your abilities would improve dramatically"

"Don't talk to me about that filthy thing! I don't want it. I may be a second rated mage since my father wasn't shining enough for his family to be chosen as heir but that doesn't mean I will stoop so low. I do have my pride you know" the figure said irritated.

His mother had suggested that plan and ever since he said no, she had been pestering him to go out and fight, to get involved a little and win. It was troublesome since all his strategies included others doing his dirty work. He liked to manipulate from the shadows. That night Assassin stalked Caster, but his master was nowhere near. He moved in for the kill, but Caster had some kind of shield that deflected his bullets and then his master appeared out of thin air. The servant held his own against every spell they threw at him except one. He had to sacrifice a phantasm of his to create confusion and Assassin managed to get out. Even now the servant's body was fighting the mage's spell. Apparently it was the ability of a Noble Phantasm since he could not cure it.

"Assassin!" his master said waking him up from his reminiscence "Don't make me get my hands dirty" he said and started walking to his fortress.

Day 17

Elwing woke up and looked around. It was sunny outside. Lancer appeared with a cup of tea and handed it to her. She did not refuse it. As she drank she felt the warm liquid on her tongue and moved her legs for a better balance. She left light, no headache, no nausea. But she felt as if she wasn't there also.

"What happened?" she asked still a bit confused

"You slept through the night. You must have been truly tired, master!" Lancer said.

"What time is it"

"It is 5 pm. The sun will start setting soon."

She nodded and concentrated on finishing the tea. With each sip she started to get more and more feeling in her body. It was as if her body was gaining weight again. She finished the tea and put the cup on one of the shelves. She shook her head and got up. She took a shower. She still couldn't feel the complete weight of her body.

"I'll move forward, one step at a time and if I die, it's ok!" she said out loud "hehe, been through worst."

She bumped her fists together, washed up and got out. She realized she didn't bring any cloths with her. She exited the bathroom in her towels and Diarmuid straighten up to make room for her to pass.

"I don't bite, geez" she said as she passed him but at her room she stopped and started closing the door "don't come in until I say so".

She went straight to her wardrobe, she dried herself with the towel and put on some underwear. She then started going through her things. She put on another pair of black trousers and smiled as she saw only black at her trousers and one dark purple which she couldn't wear because they were stained. When choosing a shirt she had problems. She did not know what to wear, but then she found an old shirt that she loved. It was red with black lines at the neck and bottom. She loved it so much she didn't throw it away even though the dragon from the right sleeve had almost disappeared. It had bell sleeves like she liked. She took out a special eye shade that she never used. Red!. She finished her make-up which took her around 2 minutes tops and she opened the bottle of her favorite perfume.

"Master?" came Diarmuid's call

"What is it? Oh, you can come in"

He entered to find his master with the bottle of perfume in her hands. She smiled at him as she always did. She used the perfume and closed to bottle. She took out all her jewelry boxes and started going through them.

"Is everything in order, master?" he asked

"Peachy!" she replied without a trace of irony.

He looked at the boxes that she had. There were 5 in total, 2 medium ones and 3 little ones. "_Even Grainne had more jewelry than her when we got married_" Diarmuid thought. He saw the women of this age and how they loved to show their jewelry. But his master was different, she only wore jewelry on occasions, just like she dressed in a lady like fashion when she felt it was an occasion. Most of his master's jewelry consisted of silver and she had confessed that most of them were presents. She loved receiving jewelry as presents. Only 2 rings she had bought from her own money, one that she wore all the time and one that was an antique. "_Who knows, it might summon another epic her_" she jested back then. In the end she didn't chose any jewels, just picked up the boxes and put them back.

"So many memories locked in here" she told him "Lancer…"

"I know master' he said smiling "we cannot avoid this"

"Just one walk, to the center of the town and back" she said

They kept talking for hours. He told her some stories about his life and she responded with some of hers. She complained that her memories weren't as fascinating. She told him of how her horse usually kept her safe. That she would go out in the dead of night with her cousin. She told him that the horse only listened to her and being the terror of the village he didn't let anyone near him, except her. She told him how she rode bareback, not having a saddle, but she loved to feel the horse's movement. It was easier for her and her horse to synchronize. When he trotted she would jump left or right but her horse would counter-balance her and she would not fall.

Diarmuid told her stories from when he and his friends would go hunting. How they tracked a wild boar for days, even through rain. They gave up half way through having lost the scent, but his trusted greyhound found it again and they managed to put down the great beast. He was using his Gae Buidhe and Beagalltach, his short sword. He confessed that he never liked taking Gae Dearg or Moralltach when hunting since it made things much easier and dulled the feeling of triumph.

"It's called adrenaline rush" Elwing told him in the end "It's passed midnight. Shall we?"

Lancer nodded and got up. He helped Elwing with the arrows and the harness. She arranged her bokkens and looked at her katana. She took it of the shelf and out of its scabbard. It was indeed a sword with a dull blade, but it did not move as Elwing remembered. She took out Rumyel's bokken.

"Diarmuid, could you maybe connect this with the harness?"

He nodded and with a quick adjustment she had her katana at her back. Lancer did not know how much that would help but it made his master feel more confident, so he left things as they were.

They walked towards the ferry crossing . They did not descend but kept the high ground. This time Elwing had left her glasses at home. So she couldn't see in the distance well. They were lucky as no one saw them, but they were also using the most backed roads they could find. Lancer knew the way since he used his ability to survey the field so all she had to do was tag along. Once they reached the upper part of the cliffs, they could not hide anymore. And in open defiance of all the rules they walked in plain sight. Diarmuid made the cloth on his spears disappear and Elwing could hear a certain sound as the spears were released. It was as if someone hit a small bell. The noise slowly faded into the background.

"Can anyone feel that or hear that?"

"Hear?" Lancer said confused.

"The sound that your spears make when they are released"

"They make no sound, master"

"Never mind, I must be imagining things"

She said that as to calm Diarmuid's confusion but she was certain she heard something. She tried to calm herself and listen, but she couldn't hear it anymore. As they moved forward Diarmuid's expression changed, he changed his spears into just one hand and lifted Elwing in his arms and ran.

She did not make any movement, she knew where they were going and why. As they passed a white statue Diarmuid stopped and put her down, the minute she regained balance she pulled the string of her bow, but disarmed at once. On the middle of the hill the fight was at its end. Berserker with more than half a dozen bolts was staggering. Elwing saw that he was wearing a Turkish armor and had a scimitar in his hand. He was all bloody and took a few steps back and fell. Diarmuid grabbed her and wanted to turn her away but she would not budge. She wanted to see everything. The fallen hero let out a roar like that of an animal and started to dissipate.

Archer turned around, took a piece at his crossbow which was a ruin and threw it back down. He made it disappear and moved the knife from his left hand to his right hand. He was also suffering from a few injuries and he jumped a few feet back from where Elwing was. Lancer grabbed Elwing even harder and pushed her behind him, while he took a stance with both his spears ready to attack. As Archer took his own stance, Elwing looked from behind Diarmuid. She knew she had to arm her bow, but Archer looked so defeated. She felt bad for him. She looked away, there was nothing she could do. It was war after all. She heard the knife drop and looked at Archer. He was trembling from every joint. As he fell to his knees he yelled: "Assassin, you son of a bitch!"

Elwing took a step back as if someone hit her. She looked at Archer who started losing form. She made herself move and managed to run past Diarmuid who this time grabbed her and stopped her.

"Diarmuid!" she cried at him "let me go, he's…"

"Worrying about the enemy, little girl?" Archer laughed "that can't be good for your health! Say, knight, I guess I won't be able to make that shot after all. Think you can do this old man a favor and give me a quick death?"

Lancer nodded and walked forward but Elwing grabbed him. "Maybe we can help him" she said, "what if I make him my servant too? Can I do that? You said I have mana to spare" she began.

"You are indeed a sweet girl, but enough is enough, this man longs for peace" he said as Lancer freed himself from his master and walked forward, he stopped in front of Archer and as the other servant looked at him, he said smiling "I'm glad I didn't make the shot that day. Take care of her, knight" and with that he closed his eyes. With a swift movement of Gae Buidhe, Archer's head rolled on the ground and his body started to dissipate.

Elwing's eyes filled with tears. This was not how she had imagined it would go. She was still naïve, no matter how hard she thought about war and always said that she knew of blood and gore, this was too much. The reality of it was too much. She always hated reality for its brutality, but now she felt herself being crushed under its feet. As Lancer returned he changed Gae Buidhe to his right hand and reached for Elwing. She pulled herself away and looked at him angry.

"Why didn't you give me a chance?"

"You know why…**master**" he replied putting great emphasis on the last word.

As if woken from a dream she turned her gaze. Only now did she saw the devastation. Around half the trees on the hill were no more. The concrete had holes in it as big as a car. This was how a battlefield looked like, she felt sick and disappointed. All that talk about winning, all the insults she had thrown and all the arrogance, it all washed away. She was humbled; she wanted to go home and rest. She knew the world wasn't her romanticized version, bur nonetheless this was a bit too much. Since Lancer did not interrupt her thoughts and just waited for her, she started walking past him back home, but he blocked her way with Gae Dearg. She closed her eyes and she understood that Lancer used his ability at her expense; she didn't mind it until now. He had always been so gallant, but now she felt like slapping him. She looked up angry, but what she saw made her take a step back. Lancer was looking in the distance, the light from the nearest pole danced in his eyes. He was smiling, but not his usual smile, this was a full grin. It twisted his beautiful features into something else, something deadly. His murderous intent was so palpable and she realized, he had found his prey.

Elwing closed her eyes and remembered seeing that grin before. The way that button mouth of his twisted in delight reminded her that he was a man who killed armies for a living. In such a job you either learn to love it or it breaks you down, Diarmuid was the first type. He liked fighting, that was now clear to her. She did too, in her own way and now was the time to test it. She promised she would let lose, let all her instinct take over and shoot without mercy. Mercy was for the weak anyway and she wanted to prove tonight that she wasn't one.

"Where to?" she asked her knight who looked at her as if seeing her for the first time so she tilted her head, it felt fake so she stopped.

"This way!" Lancer replied and started walking

She followed him, still keeping the arrow on her bow. He wasn't walking fast, but Elwing had to almost run to keep his pace. As she did she continued her trail of thought, trying to harden her resolve. Death still didn't scare her, why it didn't she could not tell. She now thought that the idea of someone mourning for her was stupid, how would she know if someone cared. If there was a heaven or hell, she most certainly thought that hell awaited her. What did it mattered if someone cried for you when you are burning in agony every second of your eternal life?! She snickered uncontrollably; she was truly unable to be emphatic no matter how hard she tried. She analyzed her feelings, death was good but so was living. She tried to make a list of pros and cons and again they came up equal. She decided to leave the decision to her instincts, should her survival instinct save her, it was good, should she die, she hoped it was a nice death. "_A nice death with a smiling corpse just for a selfish person like me"_ she concluded in her head. She sighted violently and put her bow on her back and took out her swords, one wooden and one metal, they felt heavy in her hands, they felt real.

Lancer was concentrating on the task ahead but he did see the changes his master went through. Reality had a nasty bite for this girl who was so entranced with a world where everyone saved a princes locked in a tower or died a heroic death with an epic speech. When he saw her drawing her swords, he knew that she would be adamant at least until the fighting started. She planned on fighting head on with whatever skill she possessed.

"Leave your lies at home and bring your skills to the battle" she recited "Leave your lies at home and bring your skills to the battle, that was my signature on every forum! I plan to live up to it, Lancer. Take care of the servant, I will not interfere, anything else leave to it me!"

"Yes, my master" Diarmuid replied proud.

They finally arrived and Elwing saw that their opponent was Caster. He was sitting nonchalantly on the sidewalk. She looked up ahead and saw that they were exactly near the main road and that the exit to it was guarded by two building belonging to rival banks. She felt queasy and changed back to her bow. At any minute something could come flying towards them and she better be at range.

She nocked an arrow and prepared to draw. Lancer nodded and they approached slowly. She kept looking left and right for any movement. There was no epic music in the background, no drums making a rhythm, no change of melody to tell her she entered combat. It was only silence!

"You weren't on my list for tonight" Caster said without turning, he was quite serious "but you will have to do!"

"I'll fire the start" she whispered

She realized that Caster was on the hunt as well as Diarmuid. They would clash and they would clash hard. It was time for her to put her training to good use as well. She wanted to stay face to face with Caster but she knew that was Diarmuid's job. As her servant took his usual stance in front of Caster, she looked for cover. There wasn't any as the banks did not have pillars to hide behind. So she went up the stairs, taking the high ground, drawing the string to her cheek. She felt the fiber glass bow change shape as she aimed the arrow.

"Two against one" Caster said mockingly "I can't say I am surprised. You're a peculiar mage" he raised his voice so the girl could hear.

Without a sound she aimed carefully. Diarmuid was right in front of her and she started worrying she might hit him. So she aimed far to the left. As she let her arrow fly, Diarmuid made his move. The arrow went far from Caster and the servant didn't even twitch. She nocked another arrow and started looking around. Diarmuid already forced Caster to withdraw from his position. The man in the white coat was forced to dodge. Lancer made sure that he didn't have time to speak. "_They're so fast_", Elwing thought _"with Gae Dearg activated and Caster's constitution, there's no way he can lose. Caster will burn out faster that my Lancer_" she smiled _"we are winning this one_"

"Who's there?" a voice shouted

_"No, no, no, no, no_!" she thought desperate. In front of them a policeman was sitting "_why now. You're never around when you are needed_" she continued her thought and drew the string of her bow. "_Fuck it!"_ she thought and released an arrow, again aiming away from the target. The policeman yelled for help and ran. She quickly nocked another arrow and went after the policeman to make sure he ran away. She wasn't going to kill an innocent man for nothing, no one would believe him anyway, not in this day and age. And they still had time until anyone else would show. Enough time for Diarmuid to press the attack and finish things.

As she reached the corner she went in a wide swing with the arrow already drawn. But there was no policeman, the sidewalk was empty. "_Ow! Fuck!"_ she thought and froze. The next thing she knew she was flying, no it was wrong. She was in Diarmuid's arms in mid air and she was holding her bow. As her servant touched the ground they both fell. She heard the metallic sound of Diarmuid's spears rolling away. Lancer tried to get up but fell back on all fours. She immediately picked herself up and her bow went in front of him and armed an arrow.

"Dormeau adânc sicriele de plumb,  
Si flori de plumb si funerar vestmint"* Caster recited

Note – Geroge Bacovia 's poem Plumb – translation "Lead". Verses as follow:

"The coffins of lead were lying sound asleep,  
And the lead flowers and the funeral clothes"

"Bacovia?" she asked

"Yes! Stam singur langa mort ... si era frig ..."*

Note – same author other verses: I stood alone by the corpse ... and it was cold"

Now she felt uneasy. The man was tall and skinny with a short beard and short hair. Bacovia was one of her favorite poets, dark, gritty, depressing. But the last verse scared her. She knew he was going to kill them, it was kill or be killed. She let her arrow fly, and then drew another and let it fly as well. She didn't see what happened with the first but she did with the second. It was as if it hit a glass window, but the arrow shattered, not the glass.

"Mas-ter" came Diarmuid's heavy voice. It was clear that he could barely speak "run!"

"Like hell I am" she said coldly "you move, run!" she said dropping the bow and getting her swords, she was scared to look at Diarmuid.

"Sadly! He cannot! With Lancer's high magic resist, my field is quite, potent! But it does not affect you. Are you not a magus, woman?"

"Nope!" she automatically and shifted her stance

"Interesting! This is the first I heard a normal person being able to conjure a familiar and a servant nonetheless" a second figure appeared from the building, it was the policeman "Stand aside, and I might not kill you" he told the girl

"Make me!" she said growled

"Mas-ter! Ple-ase! Run!" her servant said "I'll…"

"It will be ok, Diarmuid" she said, using the servant's real name "I won't let them, I won't"

"Such courage!" Caster said, his voice dripping with irony "Woman, do you not see your servant. Turn around, I will allow it"

"Thank you, I'm fine" she replied.

"Your servant can't move anymore. Caster's field makes him heavier each second he spends in it. And you are right in the middle. The more magic resist your servant has, the faster the effect. Now, acknowledge your mistake and move out of the way" the policeman continued his servant's idea.

"No!" she replied, but turned around. Lancer's hands were shaking trying to support his body. Gae Buidhe was at his feet but he could not touch it. She also saw blood on the sidewalk, it was coming from his right foot. He might have survived and even won if he didn't drop Gae Dearg, it was her fault. She should have told him about firearms. _"God damn it!"_ she screamed in her head, why didn't she told him about modern weaponry?! Tears filled her eyes as she turned around violently facing Caster and his Master. They were not tears of fear, it was anger she felt. She wanted to make the two men in front of her pay but in the same time she wanted to save Diarmuid. She took her stance and did not move, she did not know what else to do. "_Come closer_!" she thought "_Come closer so I can chop you to pieces you filthy sons of a bitch_". There was no way out for her, she knew no spells and she couldn't make herself leave Diarmuid's side.

The policeman drew his pistol and aimed at her, but she did not move. He shot somewhere near her feet and she only closed her eyes and lowered her stance further. She felt her muscles getting rigid. She knew she was going to die there but it did not matter. She would not move! She would protect Diarmuid! If only she had the powers from her book, she could teleport him away. Away from the field, he could recover, find another master and win. As she moved her right hand she saw the mark. She could save him!

"By my command spell…" she began her voice trembling then darkness.

Ever since he dropped Gae Dearg, Lancer tried to get up. He had managed to sense the danger and disengaged Caster to get his master out of peril. But he wasn't fast enough as the bullet intended for her went through his right foot. He did not notice until it was too late. Falling on the ground and trying to protect his master from injury he had let go of his crimson spear. Then he realized his own folly. As he tried to get up his body felt heavy. He managed to stand only to fall on his knees and then on all fours. He clenched his jaw and tried with all his might to stand, but it was impossible. It all happened in less than a second. He saw his master getting up with ease and picking her bow from the ground and arming it.

Her aim was perfect he saw, if only the arrows did not shatter, Caster would have died. He had to get up, he forced his muscles but as soon as he tried to raise his body it felt heavy and pushed him back into the ground. He urged his master to run, but she did not move. Instead she told him to run, she didn't even look at him. He felt so helpless as she drew her swords, he knew she would die if she didn't run now. He had to rise, grab her and run. But his body did not listen anymore. As Caster's master began to speak he felt his hands giving in. He forced his head up to look at his master. Their eyes met and he saw the fear in her eyes and then anger, so much that her eyes filled with tears and then she turned her back on him. As he heard the words "by my command spell" he knew what was coming. In a split second Caster was in front of her and he managed to grab Gae Buidhe and thrust it forward. It was a second too late, Elwing went flying a meter away, Caster evaded his blow and he dropped his short spear being unable to support its weight. He was still happy she was breathing, but could not tell her state beyond that. All he could do was pray that they would not kill her.

"Your master is quite the hero material" the policeman said raising his pistol to aim

All Lancer could do is smile. His master had done him so proud. She fought honorably by his side. It felt enough for him and with his last strength he stood upon his knees. He wanted to die standing, but this was good enough. At least he wasn't crawling.

Elwing opened her eyes. The cold ground greeted her and she saw Caster and his master, she could not see Diarmuid. She needed to get up, her swords, she felt the handle of her katana. She was still holding it but as she tried to get up her body would not obey her. _"Move_!" she screamed in her head _"Move you useless bag of bones!"_ she yelled again.

"Lancer!" she whispered or at least she thought she did.

As the policeman raised his gun she realized her servant was still alive. She struggled to overcome the pain she felt and make her body move, She couldn't let him die, not now. He was her responsibility, she shouldn't under any circumstances fail. Never again, she promised herself. Never again will she lower her head. She had to get up. She tried to speak again but couldn't. "_Lancer, Lancer, Lancer_!" she was screaming in her head. She felt as if she was impaled with a spear through her heart. Her breathing was heavy, she felt her body sinking. "_No_!" she thought "no _matter how deep the hell hole is I will drag this broken body out, for you and only for you!_" she screamed in her head and started moving. Or at least she thought she was. Then she heard the sound of the gun and she yelled "NO!" once more

Lancer looked at the gun and waited. As the bang from the gun came, he saw the bullet rush towards him and he closed his eyes. But something was wrong. He started feeling lighter and he opened his eyes. A shield stood in front of him, the bullet impeded in it. In a fraction of a second he realized the situation, grabbed Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe, went through the shield and in one strike killed Caster with Gae Dearg then disarmed the policeman, threw him to the ground and impaled him with Gae Buidhe.

He turned around and saw the huge shield. It enveloped the whole bank building; it went through the ground without damaging it. It looked like a curtain of water and on it stood in white the pattern of a flower. It looked like a wild rose with 8 petals and one of the petals was exactly where he stood. He walked up to the shield and passed through it. The shield itself felt like a summer breeze, gentle and warm. He ran to his master who was sitting in the same position he was, as he was waiting for his death. She was breathing heavily with her mouth wide open as if trying to steal the air, blood flowing from her mouth and dripping from her chin, tears rolling on her cheeks.

As he came in front of her, he could hear her whisper between gasps "just – kill – me- already", she had her eyes open and looking down, but she did not recognize him. He wasn't sure she was conscious. He kneeled next to her. Her body fell into his arms as soon as he touched her and the shield started to dissipate. With a short gesture of his free hand, Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe disappeared. He lifted her in his arms and began to slowly walk and as he wanted to jump he saw Assassin, sitting on the last floor of the building, looking down on them. He wanted nothing more but to tear the servant to pieces to vent his frustration but that had to wait as his master needed him. He left a curse fly from his lips and jumped on the pole, and then again, landing on the next building and from there he ran on the building at top speed. He started to understand what his master had done. The wound from his leg was nowhere to be seen; Caster's field had broken off into bits and disappeared. He was 3 times as fast and agile. And the shield that she had created, It covered a 12 story building, without damaging anything, but it stopped the bullet. He looked back and saw the shield completely disappear. It was in the shape of a sphere, a perfect defense from all sides.

He made sure they weren't followed and entered the apartment through the window. He laid her on the bed and made sure she was breathing steadily. No matter what happened, he would not leave his master's side.

Some time earlier - on top of the bank building

"Master" Assassin said "is this right with you?"

"Someone's bound to come and do the dirty job for us, especially since that idiot is radiating like a sun" he replied and went back to his hand held device where he was playing a game "We can sit here quite some time" he said and sent a phantasm to bring him the bottle of juice he had left on the other side "that or he will get bored and move. I got patience!" the master shrugged.

Assassin sat at the edge of the building. He waiting patiently, he knew his master's plan, wait for someone to bring down Caster, or his master so that the enchantment on him could be broken and then it was his job to assassinate the victor. They also made sure that Archer bumps into Berserker. As much as he wanted to finish off Archer himself and to clear the stain on his pride, his master told him not to.

In this world, he had no choice but to obey his master. That wasn't difficult since they thought much alike and when he heard his wish he had immediately accepted his role. He made another note of the layout of the city. He may not have some shining Noble Phantasm, but he had his skills which he honed over the years or so he thought. He could not tell. His master had told him how he was summoned. He told him that he can consider his exploits real, it made no difference. To him, his family's murder, his vengeance, his adventure, his achievements, all felt so real. Even after he was shown the game and saw himself running on buildings, fighting his enemies, he saw he followed the commands from a black board with buttons, he still could not believe it. And now he was sitting atop a modern building waiting for his master's enemies to make the wrong move. It was all too real.

"Berserker's dead and Archer is on his master's mana. Show time!" his master announced. The figure put one of his hands in front and concentrated.

Miles away, right outside a house a violet transparent shade started moving. It just walked through the two weak barriers, jumped the fence and opened the front door. It went up the stairs to the attic. On the bed lay a man, he lazily opened his eyes, he looked at the purple figure. It looked like an elf from the books, with long hair, a beautiful face and long ears. "Very poetic" the man barely whispered. The phantasm drew its long sword and implanted it in the man's body and then shattered.

Back at the battlefield near the cliffs, through another phantasm he heard Archer scream and looked on as Lancer sent him off, despite Elwing's cries. As Lancer's master turned to leave he shattered the second phantasm. He knew that all that boasting that she did about blood and death and arrogance would melt when she saw the real deal. "_The harder they brag, the harder it is for them to face reality_" he thought. He shifted his seat to sit more comfortable and continued his game.

"Master!" Assassin said disturbing his master's concentration "we have a problem"

The figure made another move with his fingers and a phantasm appeared. He cloaked it and sent it scouting. He was genuinely surprised to see Elwing coming up the road with Lancer. He sighted and continued watching. He did not expect her to come, most likely her idiot servant made some joke, picking at her ego. He knew she was very proud and with an ego so massive it could eclipse the sun. He saw that she changed weapons twice and thought that she was still unsecure.

As they entered Caster's field he shook his head. Was her servant such an idiot that he didn't feel the field activating?! He laughed "_the perfect knight for Elwing_" he thought ironically.

As the match began he saw that Lancer was fast enough and agile enough to not only push Caster back but also resist the field. He knew that the Lancer was one of the 3 classes with the highest magic resist, but that field was Caster's Noble Phantasm. He thought of his red spear, The Crimson Rose of Exorcism. He might just pull it off and save the day, too bad that if he won he would have to send Assassin to exterminate him, but maybe it was for the best as he could leave Elwing alive and get her out of the game. Without her knowing who he was, things could continue as they were.

All that ended when she ran after Caster's master. He saw everything through Assassin's eyes. When she got up and faced Caster himself he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. She was insane enough to face a servant, with those pathetic weapons. As she was given a chance to withdraw he couldn't help but hope that she would take it. But she surprised him again and again until he got angry enough to say, fuck it all and sat back and watched. He saw her fall to the ground and her servant's reaction, preparing for his death.

"Fucking useful you are" he muttered disgusted.

But when he heard her cry he froze in his seat. Assassin's eyes could barely keep up with Lancer's speed now. It was over in seconds. And as things calmed down he regained his breath. The enchantment on Assassin disappeared but along with it their cloaking and his phantasms. He saw Lancer pick up Elwing and Assassin hesitating. It was only natural, he couldn't fight what he couldn't see. These weren't the movies. He could feel Lancer's bloodlust all the way up there. They got lucky since the servant did not jump at their level but forward, so he was concealed from sight. He realized that he couldn't create his phantasms. But he also realized that Elwing's mana was at its limit, her mana always looked like a huge blue flame to him, but now only embers remained. If not careful, Lancer would kill her. He was firm on his idea that Elwing's life was in his hands and that she would die. She was just another target in this war.

"May I speak frankly, master?" Assassin asked

"Go ahead!"

"You clearly love the woman, why not save her?"

"Ha! Feelings or become a god. Yeeeeeeeeah! I don't see much competition here!" he answered in his usual manner.

"This spell, what is it. It felt … hard to explain the feeling" his servant started "it posses a threat, also Lancer's new found abilities"

"The shield is something like an Ultimate Defence. Normally it should have been on Lancer and not this big" the master started explaining "I am guessing because she felt us here she made it this big. She is a gullible as always" he snickered "Lancer's abilities have been improved, buffed if you will. The effect will wear off"

"We wait for it to disappear and then I strike!" he said

"She has served her purpose..." he said and paused

"You do not wish to kill her. I understand!" the servant replied

"She might die at any minute and if she survives, I want her to see who kills her since she has such a death wish. Yes, I will grant her that! I don't think she can recharge her mana fast enough for another combo like this, but just in case I will keep my eyes on her" he concluded "Depending on that we can strike. Plus , she is so naïve that all I have to do is go up to her and act all hurt and implant a knife in her heart. Lancer is your job" he smiled.

Assassin nodded and went down. He disposed of the body with one of his pouches and gathered the girl's weapons. He debated with himself to weather just go kill Lancer or not. The girl was an innocent caught up in a gruesome war. She proved that with her arrows, she proved that with her blades. She was no killer.

Day 20

2 days had already passed since the fight with Caster. It was passed noon and Lancer was starting to have doubts. He took care of his master as best he could, he managed to bring down her fevers, made sure she was hydrated, but her body was weakened considerable. If this continued she wouldn't last another day. Her mana was slowly returning but her body wasn't. He was already using his own supplies more than her mana, but it was not enough Although no injuries, other than a scratch on her right temple, were visible she still wouldn't wake up. If only she would wake! That would give her a chance.

He paced through the room again. He was so frustrated at his folly. His pride had gotten the best of him. After killing Archer, he wanted to fight so badly. He wanted to show his prowess in battle. So he used his mapping ability to find an opponent and he found Caster. He completely disregarded how Elwing felt. He had convinced himself that it would be a good lesson for his master to see first hand the bloodshed. It was stupid of him. He took an unnecessary risk and she paid the price for it. He never expected her to, truly fight along side him. She had always frozen when pushed over the limit, but this time she overcame it.

When she took her swords out and seemed adamant and told him of her motto, he felt so proud of her. He felt that she had already accomplished a lot, but in his eyes, she was a woman, he thought she would waver at the sight of blood. When she changed to bow again it almost became a certainty and he was relieved. She also promised not to interfere in his fight so that made it 100%. She even told him she would fire the start. He laughed to himself at that notion, but he allowed it. When her arrow came, it was so off course, but he took the cue nonetheless, thinking that was the end of it.

The appearance of Caster's master in disguise and her running off was something unexpected. And from there it was all history. He cursed his carelessness; he cursed the fact that he underestimated his master, he cursed the fact that he was powerless to save her.

He sat at the computer. He made it his priority to try and learn everything he could about this era. He would spend 4h a day reading and searching. He found her notebooks where she wrote her poems and a story with elves and dwarfs and other magical creatures. He cleaned her room twice already. He had no reason to cook, since his master was unable to eat. Today he started one of her games and entered her account and password, he remembered he saw her type them a few times. He created a character and entered that world. He ran around and did some quests. He understood a little why his master liked such a world, especially when you were the center of attention for saving some village. He had that in real life, but she didn't. He was loved and envied by many and he had learned to live with it. If any dared to challenge his prowess they would resolve it through a contest. But in this era things weren't as easy. You could not organize shows of might and you could not kill your opponent.

After a few more minutes he closed the game and looked again at his master. She was still breathing heavily, her fever must have returned. He went to wash the cloth he had put on her forehead. He remembered the feeling of being content with his death and her cry. It was something otherworldly. He could not say if it was good or bad.

"Lancer!" he heard in a faint voice and ran to her room.

She was clutching the bed sheet, trying to get up. Her body wouldn't listen, she couldn't see Lancer in the room. She felt abandoned, but didn't blame him.

He opened the door so hard that the mirror almost shattered. In 3 big steps he was on the bed. She looked at him as tears filled her eyes. She jumped in his arms and began to sob uncontrollable. Lancer answered her embrace and held her tight, he could feel her nails digging deeper and deeper in his flesh as her cries became louder and louder.

When she managed regain control of herself, her thoughts came unbidden. She never wanted this man to leave, she didn't want to be alone, she would protect him and then she understood… she was in love with him. She freed herself from his embrace and leaned on the wall behind her. She felt her eyes burning and the pain in her body, but it didn't bother her. Right then, pain meant she was alive and she was happy she managed to see her servant alive.

"I need to go into the kitchen" Lancer told her after he made sure she wouldn't cry anymore "I'll be back soon. If you need anything call me"

She nodded and he left the room. She was grateful for the time alone. She needed to think, not at the war but at her feelings. She wanted to tell Lancer so badly, she felt like just calling him and tell him _"you idiot, I love you_". But that would not do. She thought of his curse, what if she wasn't immune to it, she felt weak now, and maybe it took root because of that. But what if she was immune, what if she loved him from the start but wouldn't accept it. She was attracted to him, that she could not deny. She always did things like this, fall in love, say it's impossible, deny it, suffer and then forget. In 2 instances, when she could not take it she had confessed to the people she had feelings for, but both had turned her down. And Lancer was no different. He had such baggage, with Grainne and other women. She would come in just to throw gasoline on the fire with her own confession.

She didn't want to lose Lancer, that was for sure, she would do anything for him, but she wanted to tell him. She was always like this, always feeling uncomfortable keeping her secrets, other people's secrets she had no problem with, but hers, that was a different matter. And it didn't end there, whenever she had something bad to say she couldn't stop herself from saying it, not to mention that if she talked about someone behind his back she immediately felt the urge to go to the person and tell them. What was she to do? If she told Lancer and he refused her, their relationship would turn sour, but not telling him would mean she would have to be extra careful not to let anything slip which was impossible, she would act awkward most likely and Lancer will know something was up.

Lancer entered the room with a bowl of soup, bread and a cup of tea. She got up, staggering and went to the desk. She left all her weight sink into the chair and looked at the meal.

"Why are you doing this, Lancer?" she asked almost at tears

"Is this not to your liking, master?" he replied with another question

"It's not that. I asked why are you helping me?"

"It is my duty to help and protect my master" the servant replied immediately

"Just that?"

The servant nodded and she felt her eyes filling with tears. She picked up the spoon and ate. It was so good, so much better than she would have ever cooked. She finished her meal and opened her pc. She looked at the monitor and then at the clock on the bottom right of the screen.

"There goes the day!" she said " I slept so much" but then her expression changed "why did my date change? It's 3 days ahead…tell me I didn't sleep for 3 days"

"You did master!"

"Maaaaaaaan!" she yelled "first time I am unconscious and I sleep for 3 days. This was pathetic!"

"First time?"

"Yea, I never lose consciousness" she told him proud "Ne, Lancer, you really took care of me all this time?"  
Diarmuid nodded and she felt as if something was ripping her apart. His duty, his honor and his pride, it bound him to her and she began to feel angry. This was awful; he made it clear that he had no interest in her. He probably just felt pity, like each time he hugged her and why wouldn't he?! She was small, short and stupid, so, so stupid. Despite all that, she still wanted to tell him. "_Why is it never easy? Why can't I get a happy ending for once? Why does everything have to come tumbling down right on my head, in my most happy moment?_" she screamed in her head. She looked at the date again and opened one of her games. Whenever she played she became calm and let her mind wonder. She solved most of her problems this way. And as always the thoughts came and went. "_Why does it matter if it's a curse or not, the madman will never admit that he is mad?! The feeling seems more than genuine, it's real enough for me than it's real. I am the center of my world after all! I'll tell him and what happens, happens. I am so selfish, but this time I think I am allowed! Now I just need to find the moment!"_ she concluded.

When she had finished eating, Lancer took away the bowl and mug and went to wash the dishes. He was happy to see her recover so quick. The moment she woke up, her mana flow began to stabilize and she was recovering fast. Her body would also shake off the fatigue by tomorrow and then it was back to keeping her safe. She didn't talk about the shield or the spells and he did not press the matter.

The rest of the day, she spent playing her computer games and then went to bed with him watching over her as always.

Day 21

Magda woke up as she always did. Looked around the room, but Lancer was gone again. She checked her hand for the symbol and was relieved to find it still there. She heard a sound from the kitchen and got out of bed. When she touched the door it opened and Diarmuid stood in front of her. She got scared and jumped back, hit the bed and fell.

"Master, are you all right?" Diarmuid asked extending his hand.

"I'm fine!" she answered and got up without taking his hand.

He had brought her breakfast. He started taking care of her and she liked it, but in the same time she wanted him to stop. It made things even harder for her to find a way to tell him without making things even more awkward.

The rest of the day she tried to act normally, forget about her feelings. She went back and forth in her resolve of telling him how she really felt. But did not manage to break the subject and as night came around she just went to bed disappointed.

Past midnight- outside town

It rained that day and the roads were muddy. The two women faced each other, exchanged blows and parted. It was the 5th exchange of blows and no result. They were tired. Joana already used her noble phantasm to get rid of Rider's chariot, but the woman was as good with the spear as she was at commanding her horses. Those damned beasts, she thought as the pain grew. She was bleeding from her left shoulder, but stood her ground with her sword in her right. She was lucky that her sword was lighter than a normal sword. Rider was also hurt since she fell of the hill when she destroyed the chariot. Unfortunately or fortunately for them both their masters were engaged in combat at a safe distance. Saber's master was fighting an undead army raised by Rider's master.

Boudica's master did not care to show herself on the battlefield but sent a rather ugly present. This was more of a light versus darkness fight, life versus death.

"I shall water the earth with your blood, you blond bitch!" Rider screamed and attacked again.

Joana did not respond with words but with her sword. They met for the 6th time, steel clashing with steel. Rider's strikes were getting weaker but so were Joana's parries. Joana backed as much as she dared and then charged only to be met by Boudica's spear. This time Boudica was the one retreating. They parted again and as they were getting ready for another strike but a water wave went straight for Rider, as Joana pushed forward she heard her master calling. She stopped and jumped back.

"That's enough! We need to retreat"

"But master?" she started to protest

"We were set up! Now let's get out of here before that woman's ghouls recover"

They turned and ran, leaving rider in an ice prison. Boudica easily broke out and returned to her master. She had heard what Saber's master had said.

Somewhere outside in the dark

Assassin had returned to his master's side as soon as Saber and Rider broke off.

"The priest saw through our trap!" he announced his master "it seems he has the upper hand, shall we go for Rider?"

"Yes" his master had responded and handed him a pouch "make sure that you are close enough for the barrier. And another thing, the shattering won't harm you, but make sure it doesn't blind you as well. Rider should be back with her master by now, make sure you don't leave either of them alive"

"Understood" the servant replied

Assassin took the pouch, entered stealth and jumped up the buildings running towards his target. Reaching his first destination, on top of the last high building he used his Eagle Eye and surveyed the area. When he was done, he smiled and jumped.

He entered the old building, it was only two stories high, but that did not interested him, he had business in the basement. As he descended he found his first task, to avoid all the traps. Using his acrobatic skills he managed to sneak past all the wires and beams that were there. His master had identified each of the types of traps and their positions. He was glad they worked so well together. After a few more jumps and dodges he managed to reach the first barrier. He took his master's pouch and from it a small phantasm. He threw it on the ground and it grew into a beautiful elf holding a bow and arrow. It shot at the barrier and broke it disappeared as well. Assassin pressed forward and found himself facing an undead army. He took out his sword and started cutting a path through the re-animated corpses. He did not like it, but it was necessary. He used some of his bombs and venoms and managed to get on the other side of the room. Then he took out another phantasm which shattered as soon as it hit the ground and he ran further. He had reached the second layers of barriers and with the help of another phantasm he broke it. This phantasm did not disappear, it took out its double daggers and stood as the hoard of undead were coming that way. Assassin pressed forward. He entered a room so opulent that it was disgusting. Golden statues stood as guards at the door, expensive tapestries covered the walls and in the middle there was an ancient wood coffee table with 2 sofas and 2 armchairs dressed in red velvet and golden buttons.

"I see you made it this far, you filthy mutt" Rider's master said sitting in on of the armchairs with her eyes closed.

"Kill him sis! I wanna see blood! But don't kill him dead, cause I wanna see him suffer before he disappears" a small girl giggled "tell rider to kill him!"

Rider's master opened her eyes and the small girl took a step back in fear. Assassin saw that each of her eyes was of different color, one was green and the other blue. She was a good looking woman, with long wavy hair, slim waist but not that tall. She was dressed in a long black gothic dress that made her breasts even bigger and left some cleavage open for all to see. But there was something about that woman that made you freeze in your boots. Some cold air…some…death, she reeked of death.

Rider appeared at her side kneeling. It seemed that even the servant was humbled.

"Rider! Make it rain!" she said

Boudica got up and made her spear appear. The two servants faced each other. Sword and spear clashed again and again. None of them gave in. Assassin could easily hold his own in a sword fight. They clashed again and again, parrying and attacking, backing and attacking. Assassin threw some of his daggers that Rider easily parried with her spear and attacked but his sword found the other end of her spear. He took another dagger and tried to strike at the woman's throat, but she grabbed his wrist and none of them could move. He felt something going through him. He felt Rider's spear also turning and piercing him the next second. When he looked down he saw that a demonic hand was holding him. Behind him Rider's master stood. She had the same neutral expression but her eyes were different. The light in them danced in delight. Assassin turned to look at Rider and smiled and shattered. The two women screamed and from behind the real Assassin came. With one swift movement he implanted his hidden blade in Boudica's heart and went for her master. He did the same for the master and went to look at the little girl.

"Do you want to play?" she asked in a sweet child's voice

"No little one!" he replied and turned around to leave

"Don't leave me!" she yelled.

He turned around but it was too late. Skeletal hands rose from the ground and immobilized him.

"I told you not to leave me!" she replied innocently "Mary here want to play!" she continued and put the doll down.

He now saw that the doll was alive. With huge claws and teeth, it was something taken out of a story made to frighten children. As the doll reached him, he managed to free one arm and then the other. He took his sword out and cut the doll in half. He then freed his legs and walked up to the child.

"I don't like you anymore" she said screaming "go away!"

When he didn't move she pulled out a dagger and with a movement of her hand a black wave went towards him. He dodged to the right and evaded it. He appeared behind the child and took her knife. He bounded her hands and feet and gagged her and blindfolded her. His master was right outside. The barriers were falling apart. As he moved out he saw that the undead were now just corpses.

"Master!" he greeted him

"Put her in the first room, I sealed it, there should be no corpses for her to play with. And I already called someone from the Association. They should be here by morning and clean this mess. It's their job after all."

Assassin nodded and placed the girl as ordered. He had never killed a child and was glad that his master felt the same. He had indeed grown fond of the man he called master and once the war was over, thing would change forever.

Day 22

Elwing woke up that morning feeling uneasy. She decided it was now or never. She and Lancer had breakfast together and after that she went to her room as her servant insisted that she rest.

She paced the room, waiting for him to finish cleaning the kitchen. She put some music and sat on an armchair. She was scared. "_I can fight dragons in my head, go against servants but I can't tell him I love him, come on, this is pathetic!_" she thought and got up to go for the kitchen, luckily Lancer just entered the room. She went to him and took his hand "_It's the last time that I can do this, probably_" she thought about her action.

"Diarmuid!" she said, her voice already trembling "we need to talk. Sit or stand your choice!"

She sighted and rubbed her hands together, not knowing how to start. Lancer looked at her confused but did not sit. He stood towering above her.

"I…I…think" she began taking a few steps back "there is no easy way of saying this. Diarmuid, I think I'm in love with you!" And with those words she felt her world tumbling down "Look! You don't need to answer, you don't need to do anything. I just wanted you to know" she continued annoyed at his silence, she actually wanted to know what he felt, what he was thinking but she had to restrain herself , she nodded and added "It's what I wanted to tell you since I woke up! I guess…I…"

Love story – continue here – none love story turn to page 107

Diarmuid made a step forward, grabbed her and kissed her so hard she thought she might break into pieces. When he let go of her she fell on the bed and looked up at him confused. She touched her lips and couldn't believe it. Diarmuid kneeled and looked at her.

"I think I love you too, Elwing" he said using her name.

"This isn't happening, I must be dreaming" she whispered as she covered her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. She was so happy that she could die on the spot.

Lancer took her hand from her mouth and kissed it. Then he kissed her on the mouth and made her fall on her back. He got on top of her and kissed her again and then he just embraced her. He held her tight in his arms.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear.

He raised his head and looked into her eyes, they were such a beautiful shade of green. He touched her cheek and she turned her head like a cat and smiled. He got of her and sat on the bed next to her.

"Diarmuid" she said getting up "is it ok if I have wish now?"

"What would that be?"

"For you to stay with me forever! Can I be so selfish and ask the Grail for you to stay with me?" she asked and go in a sitting position

"It is not selfish. I wish to remain by your side as well!"

"Even so…"

She stopped as Lancer got near her and wrapped his arms around her. She felt so safe and so alive. She hoped it wasn't a dream and if it was then she didn't want to wake up. She raised her hand and touched Lancer's cheek. It was still a little awkward for her to be able to touch her servant like that. She had dreamed of it, but it was real now. His soft skin felt warm to the touch and her heart skipped a beat or more as Lancer made her get on the bed and put her head in his lap. He arranged a lock of her hair and then touched her cheek. She relaxed so much that she soon fell asleep.

She woke up an hour later still with her head in his lap. She opened her eyes and she found herself gazing in his. He raised her and kissed her and she was stunned. "_It wasn't a dream_" she thought. She got up and hugged Diarmuid as hard as she could and he hugged her back. She stepped back after a brief moment.

"Ooooook!" she said in her more normal voice "now what? Cause I got no idea and this is getting awkward!

Diarmuid started laughing. He laughed with all his heart and she looked at him even more confused.

"Well… in my time we either snuck out after dark to talk and make love or I would have gone to your father to ask your hand in marriage" he replied.

"Yeaaaa…" she said "we've been living together for the past 2 weeks and asking my dad for my hand is out of the question, for at least 6 months" she said

"Why 6 months?" he asked

"I have no idea, honestly I don't give a crap about that and in this day and age, asking for parents blessings isn't what it used to be. If we want, we could go to the town court and get our papers out today and we'd be married. Which is out of the question due to our current status and marriage is overrated anyway" she said her smile fading "Ne, Diarmuid, could we not fight this war? I mean, let this drag on, for like…forever?"

"Why do you say that?"

"For starters, that wish bugs me. We need to find a way to formulate the wish so that we don't come out short. I don't know what the price will be or if it's something like in a fairy tale where the wording is the key but I…I think I will accept whatever the conditions. I just…I don't know. And this is if we win…"

" If you can control that shield and put those spells on me again, we can't lose"

"What?"

"You don't remember?"

"Ammm….no…" she said confused "could you explain?"

"When Caster's master used that pistol to shoot, you stopped a bullet with a shield and you increased my abilities and healed me. That is why I managed to kill Caster and take you out of there!"

"I don't remember anything, the last thing I thought of was…" and she stopped, she was too embarrassed to tell him.

"What?, What did you think?"

"Nothing, it's embarrassing, it doesn't matter!"

"Tell me, it might be a clue to your powers."

"Fine" she said fidgeting "I thought…I thought that no matter how deep the hell pit is I would drag my broken body out for you and only you. I guess it's pretty cheesy.. I know...don't mind it" she said feeling her face burning.

He came close to her and hugged her again. She turned around and looked at him. She couldn't help but smile, this man, with his little mole under his left eye and with those droopy eyes of his managed to enchant her in such a way... He made her feel safe, even relax so much that she would fall asleep. She kept gazing into his eyes and the words came out unbidden.

"You belong to me as I belong to you!" she whispered in his ear.

"I do my love" he replied softly.

They parted and Elwing went to prepare lunch with Diarmuid close behind her. They made lunch together and she was happy that they matched even there. Especially since anyone who would help her in the kitchen would wake up being thrown out. He taught her how to make an Irish stew and she showed him her special chocolate recipe. They ended up fighting with the batter until they were both full of black markings. They laughed when they looked at each other's faces and she recovered what was left of the batter and made 2 chocolate bars. They ate lunch and returned to her room. She threw herself on the bed and Diarmuid came and lay next to her.

"I never thought you could be so …happy happy!" she told him

"What do you mean?"

"You always seem so sad!" she replied "except when you fight, then you just look…ecstatic"

"If the opponent is worthy, I do enjoy a good fight."

"So do I, as long as I don't lose" she laughed

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. They stood like that for what seemed an eternity but none of them minded it. They were happy and they were alive. The rest of the day went by and they went to bed early.

Day 23

Elwing woke up in Diarmuid's arms and she got up and kissed him on the cheek. He opened his eyes, grabbed her and kissed her on the mouth. When he let go she giggled and got up. She went about her daily routine. Diarmuid made breakfast and they ate together. The rest of the day went on with them talking about memories and laughing.

In the evening Elwing dressed in her best dress and made a special make-up and golden jewelry. She didn't like gold that much but this was a special occasion. She opened a new bottle of perfume that she had never used. She left her own ring at home for the first in years and took only Diarmuid's ring.

"We're going out to dinner!" she announced

Diarmuid looked worried but when he saw her in the dress and how much effort she put in getting ready he just nodded.

"What's wrong?" she asked seeing his expression

"We are still at war, master" he replied seeing Elwing's smile drop at the hearing of that word "you are still recovering. Your mana flow is stable but the quantity of the mana you have is very low. Elwing I don't think you will recover that easily. Are you in any pain?"

"I'm fine" she said making a waving gesture with her hand but she looked sad "I guess you are right. We're here playing house, but we've still got to finish this. Is there really no way for us to just leave town and disappear of the grid?"

"I'm afraid not!"

"I don't want you to die" she said tears rolling down her cheeks

"I will not die!" he said coming near and wiping her tears

"What do I need to do Diarmuid?"

He embraced her and pondered. He gave in. In the end if he was with her, there shouldn't be a problem.

"We can go out if you so desire!" he said in the end

"No, no!" she replied "it's ok. I can dress up whenever I want" she continued in a sad tone while taking off her shoes.

He lifted her up and sat her on the armchair. He took her hoes from the ground and put them back on her feet.

"If you wish to go, we will go! I will be by your side at all times!" he told her and helped her up

Half an hour later they were at a Chinese restaurant. They went up the steps and chose a table by the window. He sat across fomr her and admired her. The first thing he always noticed was her eyes.

That night they talked and laughed and continue sharing memories. The food was good and the white wine she had chosen worked so well, although he ended up drinking almost all of it.

After their meal they left the restaurant and walked home. Elwing confessed she was a bit tipsy but nonetheless she was walking very straight. They stopped in the park where she first told him to kill her if anything went wrong and like before she looked up. This time she wasn't crying, she was looking at the sky and smiling. When she looked down he touched her cheek and kissed her. He led her to a bench and they sat there. But it did not last. In a second Diarmuid changed into his armor and had both lances in his hands and stood up.

On the pathway to them Joan of Arc was coming slowly. She was wearing her battle dress but she did not reach for her sword.

"Good evening to you Lancer and Lancer's master!" she said

She looked at Elwing who stood up, her high heels making a clanking sound as she went at Diarmuid's side and put her hand on his. He turned the spear in front of her to protect her and not let her run off. Elwing turned towards Saber and looked at her and then at Diarmuid. Both his spears were without their cloths and she knew he was very serious.

"Saber…" she began but Joana cut her off

"I did not come here to fight tonight. Only to deliver a message from my master! We will be waiting for you tomorrow night at the Public Garden. It will be an honorable duel as you wished. Also, Rider is dead. There are only 3 servants left, myself, Assassin and you. That is all, I bid you a good night!"

Joana dematerialized and they were alone again. Diarmuid still stood there for another few moments before changing back to his casual clothes. She felt sick, the effect of the alcohol had already disappeared and she just wanted to cry now.

Diarmuid took her hand and they walked home. He did not rush her but he was squeezing her hand harder than usual. The dream was shattered and she knew what must be done.

They entered the apartment and she threw the keys on the counter and got her coat off. She threw her shoes off her feet and sat on the bed. She only now realized that she was missing her weapons.

"Lancer?" she asked looking at the empty armchair where she normally had her weapons "where are my bow and sword?"

"You lost them in the fight with Caster. I did not return for them from fear that Assassin might attack you while I was gone. You were right about him, that man is resourceful!"

"I see! I am defenseless, not that it did much good the last time" she said.

"Not entirely!" he told her "I do have another set of weapons, sharp ones I'm afraid"

"You can conjure them even if they are not in your class?"  
"I can and I think you can use them. They're not at the same length as you like, but at least it will give you somewhat protection"

She nodded, got up and walked to her wardrobe. She took her earrings off and Lancer helped her with her necklace. He kissed her neck lightly and she trembled. He slowly unzipped her dress and it fell of her leaving her almost naked. Her immediate response was to cover her breast, but he slowly pushed her hands away and put his right hand on one and squeezed it a little, delighted by Elwing's reaction. He lifted her in his arms and laid her on the bed. He made his armor disappear and he got between her legs. She had such a scared look that he leaned forward and kissed her. He continued to touch her body and kiss her and finally entered her. She gave a short squeak and he kissed her again. He began moving slowly at first and then at a more rapid pace. He took her completely, she did not fight him, she couldn't. The pleasure she felt was indescribable. It all felt so warm, so good, so natural. When he had finished and laid beside her, she closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately exhausted. He embraced her once more and fell asleep as well.

Somewhere -

Somewhere in a dark room only the monitor from a computer was lighted. The figure stood staring at the monitor. He was truly irritated now.

"3 days" he said and could feel Assassin nodding.

He wanted to bash Lancer's head in since yesterday. Those two, together irked him. Was she truly so oblivious to the truth? The war was going to end, he would disappear. They were already 3 left and tomorrow Lancer would face Saber. This he had not orchestrated but was glad it happened. He hoped Saber would finish of Lancer. But for the first time he wouldn't be the shoulder on which Elwing would cry. No, he had enough. He would end it all in 3 days.

At the cathedral – some time earlier

"I have conveyed your message master!" Joana replied

"Good work! I hope you are prepared for tomorrow!" he replied

"I am! With god willing we will win and then go after Assassin!" she said fiddling with her cross

"Something wrong?"

"The woman… Lancer's master… they were… I think she is in love!"

"A mage in love with her servant?!" Saber's master looked amazed

"She was clad in a pretty dress and the way she touched his hand and he smiled at her. I believe he charmed her"

"We will know for sure tomorrow! Although at the meeting she wasn't under his spell. I do not believe anything has changed. We shall see indeed!"

Day 24

Elwing woke up in Diarmuid's arms and sighted. He was sleeping soundly and she went to take a bath. It was already passed noon. She felt tired from the night before, but not so much physically as she was mentally. No matter how she turned the situation she couldn't find a way out. She would take Diarmuid's swords and try her best to protect her servant. She kept thinking about the spells he told her about, but still could not remember anything. If she could call those out, he could win. Whenever she tried to concentrate on creating a shield she couldn't. It felt stupid and embarrassing. She gave up in the end and exited the bathroom.

Diarmuid had already lunch set up and she started eating in silence. She did not know what to say. She sighted and continued to eat. In the end she decided to say something.

"Diarmuid …ammm…in 2 days it's my birthday" she said

"I was not aware. Would you like to prepare a feast, a party?" he said smiling at her

"No! I don't know! All I want to do is not cry that day, for the first time since I remember, I don't want to cry!" she told him "I think it would be best if we spend it together, just the 2 of us."

"If that is your wish, but why cry?" he asked

"Each year on my birthday something goes wrong and I end up crying, until now never from happiness. It's like that day is cursed or something! Ow well…" she said

"About tonight, master" he began changing his tone "stay out of the fight. I will give you the swords, just so that you could defend yourself if needed but do not enter the fight. What happened with Caster will not happen again, I will not have you hurt" he said softening up "Elwing, please stay alive!"

"I will not interfere with your fight with Saber, but the master is another problem" she replied "the master is my responsibility, you can't fight them both. Concentrate on Saber!"

"Elwing…" he protested "will you not listen to me?"

"Do you want to have our first fight?" she replied annoyed "this is out of discussion. Plus you said I have some kind of shield, if you are in trouble. I should be able if something is wrong to…'

"NO!" he raised his voice scaring Elwing "I will not have you go through that again. If I would have been careless enough to use my scouting ability in my zeal to keep you safe you would have died that instant. You have no control over it, we still don't know how you even did those spells. It is out of the question. I will not permit it!"

"Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" she yelled at him with tears of anger in her eyes "I am not letting you die there. I don't care what happens with me. You're going to win this and get your own wish. I love you to bits but that doesn't mean that I will let you die. I know you are a servant, I know you are supposed to serve me, to fight for me. But that doesn't mean I will just throw you in some hole filled with rabid dogs. I deny it, I deny this game, I deny its rules, I deny your status as a servant. You are real enough, you can touch me, I can feel your heart beat when I am near you, you're human, if you want to die then do it on your own terms and that's the end of it!" she yelled throwing the fork on the table and going out of the kitchen.

Diarmuid was stunned, she not only yelled at him but what she said about being human. He had accepted his status in this war, he just wanted to fight, but along the road he slipped and fell in love with his master. He had no true wish except serving his master, but now that duty was more than that. He had to protect the woman that he loved; he wanted to protect her with all his might, if he had one wish, it was the chance to live again with her.

He got up and went after her. He found her on the armchair he usually sat on crying.

"Get out!" she yelled

He did not listen but came closer and took her hand in his.

"Do you really wish to fight by my side so badly?" he asked her

"I wish to keep you safe!" she replied "I wish you would never leave me!"

"I won't" he replied and wiped her tears.

As it got dark Elwing started gathering her things. She put on her red shirt with the dragon and the lightest pair of black pants. Her army boots were also ready. She took her silver ring as well as Lancer's ring. She felt safer with his ring. She put on her leather long coat and Diarmuid materialized Moralltach and Beagalltach. The one at the waist she put it one easily, but the one that was supposed to be on her back she couldn't and Lancer came to the rescue as always. She had her arms raised and the strap went under her breasts. She kept looking up, uncomfortable.

"Why are you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"I …I…do you see where the strap is?!" she asked annoyed

"I do" he answered

"It was rhetorical!" she answered and as he pulled on it she squeaked and turn around wanting to slap him, but stopped she sighted and lowered her head.

"I do not understand your reaction, and neither your behavior last night"

"What do you mean?" she said in a dangerous tone.

"You acted like a virgin although it is clear to me you are not one!"

"I'll kill you!" she said annoyed "I swear to god I will kill you!" continued embarrassed

Diarmuid stood still and did not understand his master's reaction. None of them moved until Elwing sighted and sat on the armchair.

"Virginity isn't what it used to be either!" she began in a sad tone "and no I am not one, haven't been for quite some years. Some girls still get married intact, me…I did a mistake. And it's all down hill from there. Thinking of it now, I guess you are disappointed!"

"That is not true. It was quite the experience, the way you move, I haven't had a woman like you in a very long time" he smiled

"Ugh!" she felt as if something hit her in the head, she wanted to slap him so badly "you don't say something like that to a girl, even if I take it as a compliment, I swear…I…doesn't matter" she gave up

"It was a compliment" he said and kissed her.

"I would have imagined that our last talk would be some epic speech" she confessed as they were walking down the stairs "not about….well…sex" she said exiting the building

Diarmuid laughed, it was that full hearted laugh she always loved to hear. He hugged her tight.

He lifted her in his arms and jumped. He continued until they reached their destination. The public garden wasn't that big, it was just like the park from the crossing only with more trees.

When Elwing was on her feet, he summoned his spears and she took the swords out of their scabbards. They felt weird to her hands, uneven, it was hard for her, but there was something else as well, something that made her feel uneasy. She wanted to start walking but Lancer stopped her.

"Ow, yea, go ahead" she said

The servant used his ability to map out the garden, she tried her best to not give in. But she still felt a bit sick. The started forward and as they reached the middle of the garden where a fountain laid she thought "_Yea, this is going to disappear fast_!". On the other side Saber was waiting for them, her master was behind her as well. Elwing went near Diarmuid and he nodded. He knew what she wanted to do. The girl took a few steps in front and behind her Diarmuid prepared to defend her. She sighted and began.

"Saber, please hear me out! First of all…I…I wanted to apologize. It was horrible of me to say those things about you. I only did it to know your true identity. I'm truly sorry! Also I wish you to know that even though I don't believe God exists, I do respect your fate and your legend. I have nothing against religion or other people's beliefs. So I apologize again, I'm sorry Joan of Arc!" she concluded and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you! Lancer's master!" she replied

Elwing turned and smile and then went to Diarmuid. He changed Gae Buidhe to his right hand.

"Better now?" he asked and as she nodded he kissed her. "Stay behind me, ok! And let me protect you this time, my love!"

"You know that won't happen!" she replied smiling "But, what ever happens, know that I love you with all my heart, Diarmuid!"

He nodded and she walked back to the side. She was getting ready to close the distance between her and Saber's master, when he spoke.

"It is unheard of the master and servant to have such a relationship!" he said "I planned indeed to fight you, but seeing your reaction, and how true your feelings are, I propose we let the servants settle their score. Saber, you are free to fight as your heart desires"

"We accept your proposition" Diarmuid replied "but mage, break your word, and it will be the last thing you ever do!" he said in a terrible voice.

"You have my word, Lancer. Come near me miss, so you don't get caught in the crossfire and we will spectate!"

Elwing sighted and walked near the Saber's master. In a way she was relieved that she didn't have to be a burden to Diarmuid. Now he could truly let loose. Just in case she did not sheath the swords and stood a good deal away from Saber's master. As soon as she was safe Lancer said.

"I am The first spear of the knights of Fianna, Diarmuid ua Duibhne. Let us have an honorable duel!"

"I, Joana of Arc, with God's grace accept your challenge!"

As soon as they finished their pleasantries, Lancer attacked. He immediately pushed Saber back, but she retaliated. Steel hit steel, Joana dodged the second spear and thrust her sword between them but met Gae Dearg. She jumped on the fountain and then back.

With a sign of her hand a spear with a flag appeared. Lancer smiled and attacked again. This time they were evenly matched and none gave in. They parted ways and attacked again and again. This time Diarmuid was the one jumping on the fountain but met Joana inside the upper plate and they clashed again, breaking it.

When they took their places again, Elwing could see a cut on one of her legs. "_Let it be from Gae Buidhe"_ she hoped. She was so caught in the fight that she left her swords down, she was completely defenseless, if the other master would have attacked she was a sure target. She saw Diarmuid grinning. He was enjoying this fight to the maximum, but she was still worried.

"O Lord, I entrust…" she began chanting

But Lancer did not give her a chance to finish, he immediately attacked pushing the girl backwards and cutting her with Gae Buidhe at the shoulder which gave him the opening to hit her knees. She fell on the ground and it was over, in just 2 minutes it was over. Lancer put Gae Dearg where her heart was and Gae Buidhe touched Saber's neck. He looked at Elwing and asked the woman who was down.

"Any last words, Saber?"

"Thank you!" she said "thank you master" she said raising her voice "for allowing me to fight as I wished" she finished

He nodded in response and Lancer ran her through with Gae Dearg. She disappeared soon and he returned to Elwing's side. She was breathing heavily as if she fought.

"Is something wrong?" he asked

She shook her head and embraced him. He put his right hand over her still holding his spear and looked at the former master that stood in front of him. He was smiling. When Elwing let go of Lancer, the man spoke.

"When you two want to get married come to me" he said, waved and turned to leave, but he stopped and added "be wary of Assasssin and his master. I do not know their motivation, but they will stop at nothing to win!"

Lancer nodded and the former master left. He made his spears disappear and kissed Elwing.

"Now, about that feast we need to prepare!" he said

"No feast" she replied stepping forward

"Party then"

"No party"

He lifted her up and went home. They had the wildest sex in all of Diarmuid's history and went to bed laughing.

Day 25

The next morning, they ate and Elwing cleaned the house. It was as if they were a happy married couple. Lancer helped her reach the high places and they kept talking about what they would do once it was over. Lunch passed and so did dinner. Diarmuid pressed the idea of a feast or a party but was met with categorical refuse. They went to bed early.

Somewhere-

"It seems that Lancer is quite a powerful servant" Assassin said "are you sure he will fall for it? "

"It will work. She is a gullible idiot and he wants to protect her at all costs, what can be easier?!"

Day 26 – the end

She woke up and yawned loudly and stretched. She got up and went to the bathroom and washed up. After that she went to the kitchen and found Diarmuid waiting for her with breakfast already done and beautifully arranged. She smiled and they ate together.

They went out and stopped at the cake shop where they went before their first battle. They talked about their lives and future plans. Diarmuid wanted to become a cook and she wanted to continue with her tutoring and become a full teacher. She told him about the book she was writing and he confessed to have read everything she had already written. He encouraged her to continue and promised not to continue reading until she was done.

They left the cake-shop and went through some stores. They laughed at some weird clothing, entered a jewelry and Elwing bought a silver ring for him and a bracelet for her. They entered different shops and stopped at another one with clothes. She went to try some dresses and as Diarmuid waited he saw Assassin. He followed him on the roof and as they met Diarmuid changed his armors and materialized his spear. They were exactly on top of Elwing's changing booth.

"My master sends his regards!" Assassin said "he also says that if you wish to challenge me, to come at the construction site at the crossroads"

"You master surely knows what today is!" Diarmuid replied coldly

"He does and that is why he wishes for you to come alone. He promises she won't come to any harm as we…**duel**. My master said that you either go home a victor and you fulfill your duty as her knight or you die but she survives this war!"

"I accept!" he replied without a moment's thought

Assassin left and he returned to find Elwing just coming out of in a long stunning navy colored dress, she saw his reaction she said she was buying it.

They continued walking for a short while and then he told her that he had to check something and that she should go on and look at other shops. She kissed him and told him to be careful.

As soon as Elwing entered the shop he ran in the direction of the crossroads. He noticed that she actually entered a pet shop, but did not have time to think it over.

He got to the top of the construction site and looked around. The next minute he barely had time to avoid a shot from Assassin which came out of his stealth. They began fighting. Assassin was more than capable of holding him off. Elwing was right, this man was a master. When they parted, the servant had lost one of his hidden blades and his sword, while Lancer lost Gae Buidhe. He turned Gae Dearg around his body inviting Assassin to attack. He did not disappoint and the two continued fighting. Assassin was also a master at hand to hand combat. And Lancer soon lost his second spear, but the other servant found out that he wasn't a push over at hand to hand either. When they parted again he picked up Gae Dearg which was closer and said.

"How long are you going to stay hidden there, Assassin's master or should I say Rumyel?"

"Ha! You found me out" he replied "what gave me away?"

"You rescuing Elwing on the 30th of November and then when you came to rescue her in our fight with Caster" he replied "Elwing always said you were a master strategist, she wasn't wrong"

"So you got a brain after all, but you got something wrong. I wasn't there to save her from Caster, I was there to kill her. Her shield rendering me incapable to use my magic and that's how you two got away. In the end you can say that she truly did save you"

"You would kill the woman you love?" he asked surprise

"About that, she made her choice, and since godhood doesn't come cheap… well you know. In the end I guess I really can't stand you!" he replied and 15 phantasms appeared.

Lancer fought them all, but not without getting hurt, they were potent fighters, even if they were created by magic. When Asassin joined the fight he didn't stand a chance. But they did not kill him, instead Rumyel had him chained in a lower room. And to make sure he wasn't going anywhere, he had one of his phantasms put a sword through his hands and feet.

Meanwhile Elwing had bought a green dog's collar. She looked around but couldn't see Diarmuid. She soon started feeling sick. In a flash she saw Lancer on the ground. She felt the first sword pierce his foot and she almost screamed. She started running, where to she did not know. When the second one hit she grabbed her chest, it hurt so much that she felt like she would rip her heart out. At the 3rd she fell on her knees. At the 4th she only felt a jolt. She got up and started walking towards the construction site. She did not know how she got there but she knew Lancer was inside.

She went straight to the room where Diarmuid was chained. When she saw him and all that blood she felt her feet caving in, but did not fall. She forced her body to run to him.

"Lancer!" she screamed at him "Diarmuid, wake up!" she fell on her knees in front of him and hugged him. "It will be ok, I'll find a way out, wake up please!" she continued crying.

She did not know what to do. He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. She looked even more radiant in his eyes.

"Listen to me Elwing" he said breathing heavily "pick yourself up and run. Just get up and leave!"

"I can't!" she said and hugged him tighter "we were going to get Shade back, we were going to go hunting, I even bought her a new collar. I'll get you out!"

"Listen to me" he raised his voice "get up and go"

"And where would I go?!" she replied to him "There is no place I can live without you, I don't want to live without you. I love you Diarmuid ua Duibhne!"

"Please!" he said "Please, don't do this to me, I love you too much to let you die now. Please!"

She saw the phantasm with Gae Dearg in his hands and she hugged Diarmuid tighter.

"No matter what, I love you!" she whispered as the lance pierced them both.

"I love you too, Elwing!" he whispered back as he faded, the spear that went through them was fading with him and when he was gone she fell on the floor. She looked up and saw Rumyel "I should have known it was you" she said blood flowing from her mouth "you idiot!" she told him without malice and died.

Non-love story

"Master…" came Diarmuid's confused reply "I…I…"

"I understand!" she said smiling "could you, by any chance leave the house for 30 minutes?" she asked, her voice drowning in tears

"I cannot" he replied, feeling as if he just woke up

She pressed passed him and got her coat and exited the house making the door hit so hard that he thought it might just fall. He was shocked; but he followed her at a safe distance without her noticing him. She was walking fast and from time to time she would stop to wipe her tears. She went to the park from the crossroads and found a secluded bench and sat on it and cried silently. She didn't stay there long and she started walking further. She went to the river and approached its bank. She took a seat and watched the waves come in and leave. Tears still rolled of her cheeks but she did not sob.

She stood there and all she could feel was nothingness. She was alone, all alone in this cruel world. He was a servant after all, she could force him to fall in love with her she had thought. But it wouldn't be real, she wouldn't trample his pride so. She just wanted to be struck by lightning there and then. She wanted to go to bed and never wake up, that wish of hers that always appeared when she was depressed. She wiped her tears once more. She realized she was cold and got up. It was for the best that she head back and…and what?! She did not know how she would face Lancer without crying. In the end she didn't solve anything and got up wanting to go home. She went back to the sidewalk and found Lancer sitting on a bench waiting for her. She managed to smile.

"You followed me?" she asked whispering. She didn't have the strength to talk

"Yes, master" he replied in a sad voice

"What's with that voice?" she asked trying to laugh "it's not like anyone died or something!" she told him "let's go home, ok?"

They started walking back, Lancer was close behind her and she was glad he could not see her face. She couldn't cry anymore but she felt something clawing at her insides. She wanted to cry, to scream, to break something. Curse or no curse, this was the normal path she always walked when getting turned down or dumped. She wanted to talk to someone, but who?! She couldn't tell anyone she fell in love with her servant. So she walked in silence with her own thoughts, if only she had Shade or Fulger, those 2 always listened to her, not that they had much choice, being her pets and all.

Back home, she got undressed and went and played games all day. That stopped her from sobbing, but from time to time tears would still roll on her cheeks. Lancer ignored everything, not wanting to embarrass her and she felt even more hurt. She saw all his hugs, he's way of being nice as pity. She had no choice but to break this off. She would fight and she would give him the wish if they won. That's all she knew. If she died along the way, the better! She truly had nothing to live for!

The rest of the day came and gone and all she did was play. Before bed she went and dragged the armchairs in the middle of the room and improvised a second bed.

"You sleep in my bed, since you are bigger and I will sleep in this one. Good night!" she said in a serious voice and went to bed. She cried herself to sleep in silence and hoped that Lancer did not hear her.

Day 23

The next morning Elwing woke up and made breakfast for the two of them. She decided to act professional. She was a master after all and she wanted to be a lady. She still felt empty.

"Good morning, master" came Diarmuid's shy voice

"Morning" she replied

They sat down to eat, but she couldn't. It felt as if she was eating mud, each gulp hurt. She got up, took her tea and went to her room. She opened the pc and started playing. When Lancer entered she asked without turning.

"What's our next target?"

"What?" Diarmuid asked looking at her as if someone threw a pail of water on him.

"We're still at war, are we not? Who do we need to kill next? Or did you think I would back down? My pride won't let me!" she lied and gave him a smile

Each time she smiled like that, Lancer felt as if someone had stabbed him. It was such a sad smile, he just wanted to hug her and tell her that it would be alright, but did not dare.

"I do not know!"

"Then use your ability to scan the town and see how many we are!"

"I cannot"

"Why?"

"You are still recovering!"

"Just do it" she said getting annoyed

He nodded and used the ability, Elwing felt the room spinning so hard and her head pulsing, and she fell over the keyboard. She couldn't feel anything except pain. She heard someone calling her, she couldn't see. She stood there frozen and then feeling started to come back and then she saw her surroundings. Lancer was shaking her and screaming.

"Huh?" she said as if she just woke up

"Are you alright? Master?" he was yelling

"I'm fine" she said, brushing him off

She got up staggering and went to take a bath. She wanted to soak for a few hours. She opened the faucets and exited the bathroom. She was doing everything automatically. She chose some cloths and sat back at the pc. Lancer was looking at her worried.

"I'm fine!" she told him dismissing him with a gesture.

In the bathtub she seemed to get better. The water was hot, steam rising from the water. She looked at the mirror and saw that it didn't reflect anymore from the steam. She looked up at the light and let her mind fly away. She felt alone even with Lancer outside and she remembered the words she said that night "_No matter how deep the hell hole is, I will drag this body out!"_ she thought sad "_One step at a time, I'll move forward!"_ her thoughts continued _"Forward to what?!"_ she screamed in her head "_Forward for what?! You're alone, all alone, no one will look at you, no one cares if you are alive or dead, no one!"_ and then she thought of Lancer, of the word master "_I'll live for him! As I said that night! I will drag myself out for him! Just long enough for him to win! Just that!_" she said getting up and bumping her fists.

She exited and when she saw Lancer she started wavering. She just wanted him to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her everything will be ok. But she knew that won't happen so she lowered her head and just passed him.

That night they went out. Elwing only had Rumyel's bokken left. She took that with her and wondered the town with Lancer. This time he was in his casual clothing. They went again towards the cliffs and as they passed the Botanical Garden, Elwing started feeling sick. She went to the fence and leaned on it. Lancer was looking at her worried. She was as pale as a ghost, and breathing heavily.

"Master?" he asked coming close to her,

"I'm fine" she said "guess I am a bit tired, I think there are some benches in there, mind if we take a break?"

Her servant nodded and they entered through the back gate. As they reached the benches she felt even worst. What was it with this sensation she could not tell, although she felt she was supposed to know. Diarmuid was alert but other than that he seemed fine.

She got up getting ready to leave, but as she did the pavement started lighting up and they were surrounded by ghouls. They looked like humans, but grotesquely disfigured, hunchbacked and with long claws. Elwing jumped back and hit the bench and fell on it. She got up the next second and took her kendo stance. Lancer put his hand on her shoulder and she nodded.

"Stay near me at all times" he said

He started hacking left and right, looking for the one controlling the undead. He kept pushing Elwing around between his spears, not letting her fight and keeping her safe. He did that until they reached the stairs where no ghouls were and he jumped straight to the small girl and thrust his Gae Dearg forward. The small girl jumped back and smiled.

"You forgot something!" she told him in a child's voice

Lancer turned violently to see that his master was far away from him. She was pushed back to where a waterfall was with stairs. She was defending herself as well as she could. One of the ghouls grabbed her bokken and another one her arm. She felt the claws biting into her flesh, she clenched her jaw and grunted. In the next second Lancer was back at her side and cleared the ghouls. This time they disappeared.

"Are you alright?" he said grabbing Elwing by the shoulders. She looked at him confused and then brushed him off and started walking out of the enclosed space.

"I'm fine!" she replied.

She avoided Diarmuid's hands the second time he wanted to touch her and continued walking out of the enclosed space. In reality she was scared senseless but she managed to regain control. Everything she did was instinct she realized. In the end it seemed she didn't truly want to die. She sighted and went to the next step only to feel her feet cave in. Her knees hit the pavement and she was stunned.

"What the…" she said scared

"Master!" she heard him cry

He was by her side in a second. He grabbed her hand and looked at the cuts. They were deep but that was not all.

"Poison…" he whispered.

Elwing heard the word but did not turn. Now that she thought about it there was no feeling in her left arm. The world soon started spinning and all she could do was look forward with her mouth opened. She soon fell on the side and her servant caught her. She was now on the cold pavement looking towards the Observatory building that was on the left.

"You can save her!" a voice came

It was the little girl, only this time she had turned into a beautiful woman with long black wavy hair. Diarmuid still stood next to her.

"I see you have no problem, killing children. I like you, become my servant and I will spare the girl" she continued

_"Spare me_" Elwing thought ironically "you _would be so kind to spare me, then put Diarmuid to work for you. You are lying necromancer_" her thought continued "_you are lying through your teeth. The minute you get my mark you will either order Diarmuid to kill me or you let me die from poison_". She turned at her servant who was looking and her and she smiled. He opened his mouth to reply but she grabbed his hand.

"No!" she said "be it living or dyeing, do it on your own terms, for once" she told him and grimaced.

"Mas-ter!" he said looking at her, at her smile and got up.

She knew he was going to accept, the idiot. When he opened his mouth to speak all that came out was a scream, but it was not Diarmuid's. Elwing turned to see that Assassin was behind the woman and the woman was dyeing. She knew that one of his hidden blades found the necromancer's heart and laughed silently, much to Diarmuid's despair. Assassin disappeared and her servant fell on his knees next to her and she saw he was close to tears.

"Why are you sad? You did your duty, you did it splendid" she managed to say and grimaced. She was starting to feel pain, poison wasn't quite her favorite way of dying, but it was the end. "Do you think you can kill me with Gae Dearg?" she said "it's starting to get painful"

"I can't master! There has to be a way"

"You can keep me chatting" she continued grimacing again

"No! Master, please!" he said

"Such a nice place to die!" she said looking up

She soon felt the world spinning and closed her eyes. Yes, it was the end indeed and she had no regrets.

Lancer was determined to accept the offer, his master had to be saved. When Assassin had killed the woman he felt the world tumbling down, he had failed. His master made it worst by laughing, she accepted death so easily. And when she asked for him to kill her it was a blow that he had never expected. She wasn't screaming for him to save her, she wasn't screaming in pain although he saw how hard she worked to control herself. She was dyeing because of him, because he couldn't protect her again. When she lost her conscience he picked her up, there was one place that she could be helped at. He jumped and ran as hard as he could.

He soon reached the Cathedral and as he stepped towards it, Saber had appeared. He looked at the woman with her sword in hand and he spoke.

"Saber! I need your master to heal her! I will offer my life in exchange for hers" he said

She stood there but did not move. She looked at the girl in his arms and then at him. He was desperate, she could see it clearly.

"Bring her this way!" Saber answered,

They passed through a gate at the side and walked hastily through a garden. Elwing's body started trembling in Lancer's arms and he held her tighter. He did not want his master to die. It wasn't only from duty that he was doing this. The girl deserved to live, more than she ever knew, more than him.

"What happened?" Saber's master asked when he saw them

"We were ambushed by Rider's master. She poisoned her. I can't do anything about it. Please, save my master's life!" he begged again.

Saber's master took the girl and sat her on a bed in a room in the back. He verified her pulse and got her coat off. He worked tirelessly for hours, chanting and using different elixirs. When he was done Lancer saw that his master wasn't trembling anymore and was sleeping soundly, he was so relieved.

They exited the room and Lancer went outside in the courtyard, followed by Joan and her master. Diarmuid made his spears appear and put them in the ground and took a few steps back, then sat there waiting for Joan.

"I gave my word" he began "her life for mine. There's one more thing that I want you to know Saber, she is a good girl, she has been trying to apologize to you since the meeting. That is all!"

"I do not wish to take your life, not like this" she replied "you are an honorable knight. And I know your master has been trying to apologize. Her movements are quite easy to read" she said "after she recovers, we will duel like this war is supposed to be fought, between magi and servants!" she concluded.

"She's not a mage" came Lancer's voice

"What do you mean?" Saber's master intruded

"Ever since she summoned me, she has told me she is not a mage, she can't use spells, she has no knowledge like you. The only time that something magical happened was when she was unconscious. She made a shield and strengthened my abilities. But she does not remember anything!"

"Why are you telling us this?" Saber asked

"So you won't kill her when she wakes up. She is innocent!"

"This is unheard of! She should have backed out of the war, why did she continue, what is her wish?"

"She has none! She believes the Grail is a hoax!" Lancer replied

"And your wish?"

"My only wish is to protect my master. And that is why I came here tonight, if you wish to take my life, do it, but do not hurt her"

"No." Saber said again "master, I wish to fight the knight, in an honorable duel"

"Very well!" Saber's master said "we will wait for the girl to wake up. She deserves to see what happens to her servant!"

Lancer stepped in front and made his spears disappear, afterwards went to the room where Elwing was sleeping. He sat at her side and looked at her. She was a beautiful woman and he took her hand in his. "You have to survive this" he whispered to her.

Day 24

It was morning when she woke up. She got up and found herself embraced by Lancer so hard that she thought she would break. He looked at her so happy and she remembered the night before.

"Why? How?" she asked him "where are we?"

"We're at the Church, you're safe" he replied.

"You blundering…Urgh!" she yelled at him "What did you do?"

"I saved your life!" he replied irritated "you were dying!"

"So?" she yelled back "What deal did you make?"

"I offered my life for yours" he started but she slapped him as hard as she could, he was stunned

"What did I tell you about living and dyeing on your own terms?" she kept yelling "are you so dense in that chivalry of yours that you would just give up everything for someone like me" she ended in tears "why does it have to be me" she whispered "I was content dyeing, you sweet idiot. I won't allow you to die. They can kill me any time they want, but not you. You will win this and get your wish, even if it's a silly one"

"I have no wish but to serve you!" he said

"Then find another one! I don't know…go visit Ireland! Didn't you miss your home? Go for that, just don't die!" she told him

"Elwing!" he started "they did not take my life, I will be fighting Saber in a duel when you are better, get back to bed" he told her

"I see you are feeling better already" Saber's master appeared in the doorway.

She looked down and realized she had been yelling. She didn't dare look at the priest and as she fiddled with the sheet she remembered her manners.

"Thank you!" she said "I'm sorry"

"You are a brave and strong woman, you did most of the work. That poison Rider's master used was to turn you into one of her slaves. Normally it should have taken your body an hour to turn, but you resisted and that gave me the time to save you. Your servant here is indeed loyal. He even told us about you not being a mage just to save your life. You should be proud of him!"

At the last words, she raised her head and looked at Lancer, but he looked away. She felt like slapping him again. He was an honest fool, no wonder Garinne did what she wanted with him around.

"The duel…"she began

"It will be fought tomorrow, rest for today."

"Could I speak with Joan? If that is ok, if you don't mind that is, I promise I won't do anything to her" she said everything as fast as she could.

"Of course" he replied and Joan appeared behind him

"Saber, I'm sorry" she said in one breath "I'm sorry about that night when I insulted you. I only wanted to know which hero you were. I don't have anything against religion or its believers, just the Church because I find it corrupt. But those who really believe, it's their business, not mine. I do respect your legend, you know. It was between the first movies I ever saw and you were the one who showed me that women can be fighters as well. So what I am trying to say is thank you and I apologize for my behavior."

"Thank you, Lancer's master"

"Call me Elwing, I'm not that much of a master anyway" she said smiling.

"Thank you Elwing" she said and smiled back at the girl, then dematerialized.

"I guess Father Damian had you all wrong" Saber's master said

"No, he had me right, I did threaten him. And I guess I have some strange ideas in my head as well"

The priest laughed and sat on the bed. He took Elwing's hand and changed the bandages. The cuts were deep but they were healing. Diarmuid was visibly relieved leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

"Why do you not fear death?" the priest asked as he worked.

"Because I have nothing to live for. Life doesn't offer me anything and it seems it doesn't have anything that I want in order to go and take it."

"Is that why you entered the war, in order to die?"

"Not necessarily. I entered because I had nothing better to do"

"You have no wish?"

"Well at first I immediately thought that a fortune would do me good, then I thought of power. But how ever you turn it, their' a pain to control, plus for this wish there is a price to pay, and I am too greedy to pay anything. So yea, I have no wish."

"Is that why you told your servant to find a wish?"

"You heard that, but of course, the whole Church must have heard me. Yes, that's why I told him."

"And what if you are to pay the price for that wish?"

"I'll pay it then" she replied

"I see you are not charmed by this man's curse, but you do have feelings for him" the priest said making Elwing blush "it is not something to be embarrassed of, God made us so that we might find our soul mate"

"Please stop. It's not like that. He doesn't share my feelings, so it doesn't matter. He is bound by his knightly duty to me that's why he wished to save me, so please leave it at that" she replied tears rolling of her cheek "sorry, Lancer"

The priest finished his bandaging and left. She went to bed and slept most of the day. Lancer brought her food but she could not eat, her mind was only on the duel of the next day.

Day 25

It was the middle of the night and in the Public garden two figures faced each other, to the sides stood two more. They were spectating.

"I am The first spear of the knights of Fianna, Diarmuid ua Duibhne. Let us have an honorable duel!" one of the figures said.

"I, Joan of Arc, with God's grace I accept your challenge!"

As soon as they finished their pleasantries, Lancer attacked. He immediately pushed Saber back, but she retaliated. Steel hit steel, Joan dodged the second spear and thrust her sword between them but met Gae Dearg. She jumped on the fountain and then back.

With a sign of her hand a spear with a flag appeared. Lancer smiled and attacked again. This time they were evenly matched and none gave in. They parted ways and attacked again and again. This time Diarmuid was the one jumping on the fountain but met Joana inside the upper plate and they clashed again, breaking it.

When they took their places again, Elwing could see a cut on one of her legs. "_Let it be from Gae Buidhe"_ she hoped. She saw Diarmuid grinning. He was enjoying this fight to the maximum, but she was still worried.

"O Lord, I entrust…" she began chanting

But Lancer did not give her a chance to finish, he immediately attacked pushing the girl backwards and cutting her with Gae Buidhe at the shoulder which gave him the opening to hit her knees. She fell on the ground and it was over, in just 2 minutes it was over. Lancer put Gae Dearg where her heart was and Gae Buidhe touched Saber's neck. He looked at Elwing and asked the woman who was down.

"Any last words, Saber?"

"Thank you!" she said "thank you master" she said raising her voice "for allowing me to fight as I wished" she finished

He nodded in response and Lancer ran her through with Gae Dearg. She disappeared soon and he returned to Elwing's side. She was breathing heavily as if she fought.

"I'm afraid I have cost you your servant, Master of Saber"

"It was her wish from the start to meet you in open combat" the man replied without malice "I do not know whether you two will win or not. I pray that you will. Be wary of Assassin, young lady, that servant will stop at nothing to win and it seems his master feels the same. I wish you both the best of luck" he said turning around and leaving.

They returned home to find it the same as when they left. Elwing's hand was throbbing, but she managed to get some sleep.

Day 26 – the end

Elwing woke up the next morning in her improvised bed. She opened her pc and followed her routine. That day's breakfast consisted of a sandwich which she took at the pc with a mug of tea. She looked at the date and sighed.

"Something wrong?" her servant asked

"Yes and no" she replied

"Why yes, and why no?"

"Yes, because it's my birthday and no because …I don't know"

"Happy birthday, master. Is there anything you wish for this day?"

"No!" she replied sour "well…maybe not to cry! Each year on this day I cry, something always goes wrong and I cry, meh!"

She finished her breakfast and got dressed. She was so clumsy with her hand bandaged. She felt no different than the night before. She was expecting to see a difference since it was the second time she got rescued. But there was still nothing.

"Can I ask you to be at my beck call today?"

"I am always at your beck call, master" he replied

"No, I mean for demeaning tasks, as in carrying"

"Of course" he replied.

They went out and Elwing dragged him at the cake-shop from before, then through different other shops. She entered a jewelry and bought a ring that she gave to Lancer.

"I hope you can keep it once the war ends" she smiled

"Isn't it a custom for me to purchase something for you?"

"Yes, but I don't care about that! I felt like buying it for you" she said smiling. It was a mild smile and Lancer smiled back and accepted.

They went to a Chinese restaurant to eat and Elwing seemed happy when he complimented her cooking as better. They left the restaurant and returned home, stopping at other stored form time to time. It was getting dark when they reached the apartment.

She played games for the rest of the day and went to bed early as if finishing the day before something bad happened.

Around 10 pm Lancer saw a shadow outside on the neighboring apartment building. He opened the window and saw Assassin. He jumped out the window and straight on the building. He had already his weapons and armor on. He attacked Assassin without giving him time to retaliate and they began fighting, with the servant always retreating. They were a few buildings away when he reached Assassin and impaled him with Gae Dearg but it shattered and he was blinded. When his sight returned he ran back to the apartment. He never lost sight of the open window until that thing shattered. He knew it wasn't Assassin. When he entered the room he saw Elwing was gone.

He jumped out and started tracking her. He ended up at the construction site at the crossroads and he saw her chained up. As he went in front of her, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Get me out already" she said annoyed

Lancer approached and impaled the girl with Gae Dearg, it shattered.

"You have to do better than that, Rumyel!" he said

"Awww! What gave me away?"

"She would have asked me to kill her or to run, not to get her out. Although the emotion you got correct!"

"I see…and how did you know it was me!"

"You saved her on the 30th of November, and proceeded to save her again when we fought Caster!"

"Wrong! I did save her in November, but with Caster I wanted to kill her!"

"Then why not when you were near her?"

"I wanted to give her an advantage, but not that much of an advantage!"

"So you would kill the woman you love, just for a wish?"

"Godhood doesn't come easy, plus she refused me already. Being friend zoned isn't that easy, but you wouldn't know that, after all you refused her! Now, let's see if those spears are as good as the legend says."

He made an army of phantasms appear and they started fighting, Assassin had joined in as well. It was hard to kill the phantasms and keep that man away. Elwing was right about him, he was a master. He used any weapon he could find, but Diarmuid was a seasoned warrior and they fought for an hour or so until, in the end Lancer was so exhausted and hurt that he collapsed still fighting. He was expecting a swift death but it seemed that Rumyel had another plan. He had Lancer chained in a lower room and impaled his hands and feet as to not escape.

Elwing had woken up and seeing Lancer gone and the window opened she got dressed and went outside looking for him. She didn't even take the time to brush her hair or get what was left of Rumyel's bokken. She walked through the streets looking for any sign of Lancer or a struggle. As she reached the crossroads going towards Rumyel's house she felt the first sword. Her body instinctively knew where to go from there. When the second sword pierced Lancer it made her lean on the wall behind her in pain. Her hand was throbbing and her heart felt as if it would break. The third made her fall on one knee. She got up and pushed forward, ignoring everything. At the forth she fell on both her knees and coughed up blood. She didn't understand what was going on but went forward.

She reached the construction site and went through the rooms. She found Lancer chained up and she ran towards him. As she reached his side she woke up on the floor. Two phantasms were pinning her down. She screamed at Lancer but he did not answer.

"You should not have come, young lady" Assassin appeared in front of her.

"Let him go!" she said through her teeth.

"I'm afraid that is impossible"

"Let him go this instance" she yelled

"You're so cute when you make demands like that" Rumyel appeared behind Assassin laughing "but no" he said serious

"Rumyel?" she said looking surprised "how, I thought, you can't"

"You thought wrong and I can! I'm the master who would end it all."

"Let Lancer go!" she told him

"No" he replied

"Please! Please let him go"

"Now you're begging. That's not like you! But think this through. Even if I let him go, he's no good anymore. Lancers pride themselves on agility but I made sure he can't move his hands and legs. Even if I let him go, he won't be able to fight. I won this, I just wanted you to be able to say goodbye to him"

"How could you…"

"It was easy really. You are as hotheaded and naïve as always, you should be happy I chose him and not you. And another thing, you can't use those powers of yours if you can't scream he said and pressed his lips against hers.

She looked at Lancer, she only had eyes for Lancer but saw behind him Assassin with his sword. He ran Diarmuid through and she saw her servant grimace and smile. As he started to slowly lose form Rumyel let go of her and started walking back. She couldn't scream, she just sat there and anger filled her. Without realizing she made the phantasms disappear, she grabbed Gae Dearg and went straight for Rumyel. But she hit Assassin's chest and felt the blade pierce her.

"No!" she heard Rumyel scream

"Thank you!" she told Assassin and let her body fall

Assassin caught her and brought her in front of Lancer. She looked up at Diarmuid and smiled. To her surprise he was crying.

"We had a good run, Diarmuid. It seems I love you after all!" she said continuing to smile and died.

Lancer nodded at her and disappeared completely.

"I'm sorry, master!" Assassin said "she was going to kill you"

"Doesn't matter anymore!" he replied

Epilogue

"In the end you sacrificed everything" Assassin said coming to his master's side.

"Yea!" he said looking at the girl's body, she was smiling and looked at peace

He kneeled and took the dog collar from her hand. He put it around his wrist as a memento and Assassin took her body. They went to the woods and burned her body as he knew she had whished. Then they went to the Church where the Grail was.

A woman in a black dress greeted them as the victors. She had red eyes and white long hair. Before he could make his wish, she showed him what would have happened if Elwing never found out about him. She would have cried for months from Lancer, but after a year she would have recovered and choose him. They would have gotten married and live happily with a beautiful house and garden. She would have worked at an equestrian center as she always wished and he would have become the naval architect he was striving to be. They also had two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. They never used magic again, Elwing got her dog back and even if he was allergic, they kept it in a huge yard. For her sake he even learned how to ride a horse and would accompany her from time to time on her trails. But it was only a dream.

"That can still be your future" the woman said

He now stood above her corpse again. Even in death she was beautiful to him and that smile of hers would forever remain etched in his memory. He would honor her, he thought. He would honor the woman who scared, defeated and broken still smiled.

"That is your present!" she announced

"No" he said "that is my past"

"So you still won't relent?" she asked

"No!"

"Then say your wish out loud and see it fulfilled"

"Make Ezio Auditore da Firenze real, bring him to this world at the prime of his youth but with all the knowledge and experience of his past years and let us start the Order of Assassin's, so that we may bring balance to the world"

"Your wish has been granted" she said and smiled

Rumyel woke up on the Church floor. Above him stood Ezio, young, still dressed in his black and red armor.

"I thought you had changed your mind and truly went for godhood, my friend" he said

"Even gods become corrupt over time" he answered "being an Assassin, with you as my mentor is pretty close to godhood" he replied.

"Then let us begin!" Ezio replied and they walked out.

THE END

121


End file.
